Impasse
by Dr. Trunks Briefs
Summary: Their timeline is coming to a bitter end. As a last resort, Gohan and Trunks gather what is left of their belongings and travel to the last hope they have: the past. Can they hold life as they know it together? Or will everything come crashing down? AU
1. They Fall In Line

Impasse

By Don Darko

Summary: Their timeline is coming to a bitter end. As a last resort, the hybrids of the future gather what is left of their belongings and travel to the last hope they have: the past.

Rating: T

* * *

"Do you feel that, bro?" Krillen muttered into the phone. Little Gohan nodded, "Do you think it could be…" he took a quick glance around to ensure his mother wasn't listening in. He knew if she found out what was going on, she wouldn't let him out of the house until he was thirty.

"Freeza?" Krillen finished when his young friend paused. "Yeah, I think so. After getting blown up by a guy, you never forget it."

"What should we do, Krillen? Should we let the others know?" Gohan habitually bit a pudgy pink lip, drawing a small amount of blood.

"If I know them like I think I do, they've already figured it out. Do you think you can get away from your mom, kiddo?"

"Yeah, it shouldn't be too hard. She usually leaves me alone when I'm studying."

"Good. Then escape when you can. By that time, I think everyone else will have found their way to each other." With that, Krillen hung up. Gohan gently put the phone back onto the receiver. He didn't want to smash it like he did the last time he hung up a little too hard. He quietly hiked back up the stairs and planned his escape.

* * *

'Man, I can't believe how fast Vegeta is…' Yamucha thought as he and said Saiyan prince raced through the air. Even though Yamucha was sure he was breaking the sound barrier, Vegeta was always a little bit faster. He was always a little bit stronger. He was always a little bit better. This murderer, this monstrosity, this demon was actually allowed to walk the face of the planet he once planned to destroy.

And Bulma- HIS Bulma- actually cared for him. She actually let Vegeta live with them in Capsule Corp. It was bad enough that Bulma pointed out every good-looking man that walked past her line of vision, but nothing she's ever done has angered Yamucha more than this. But at least Vegeta knew where to go.

"This is the place," Vegeta snarled. "This is the place where Freeza will land."

"Are you sure?" Yamucha asked.

"Yes, of course I'm sure!" The alien shouted, taking him by surprise. Having nothing more to say, both men watched the cloudy sky for the beast that was once thought to be dead for good.

That's when they heard the whirr of helicopter wings.

"Yamucha! Vegeta!" a feminine voice called. Bulma and Puar were both hanging their heads out of the side of the helicopter, waving and smiling excitedly.

The helicopter landed, stirring the red dust, but neither man blinked.

"Bulma! Puar! What the hell are you two doing here?! It's dangerous!" Yamucha bellowed. Bulma just flashed him a smirk.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a wad. We wanted to see Freeza. I missed him on Namek and I am not going to let that happen again."

"Are you crazy?! Do you know what he's going to do to you when he finds you here?"

"Sure I do. He's going to blow up the planet. But, I want to see him before he does it," she said matter-of-factly. Yamucha could only stare in shock. Being a genius really must mean you're insane after all.

"It's amazing how every time you open your mouth, you prove you're an idiot," Vegeta smirked and looked away.

Before Bulma could retort, Tien and Chaotzu touched down on the landing site as well. Tien wasn't so happy to see Vegeta there. He was obviously still sore from his last encounter with the prince. Tien stripped himself of his winter coat and scarf as he glared holes into the Saiyan's forehead.

"What's wrong? Isn't it all right for me to be here?" Vegeta asked, putting on an innocent façade.

"As a matter of fact, it's not." Tien growled as he got into a fighting stance. Vegeta merely smirked.

"Hey, don't fight guys. This isn't the time." Yamucha interfered. Tien took in a shaky inhale, trying to sooth his temper. Vegeta simply turned his back. In an attempt to distract himself, Tien tried to make a little conversation, "its Freeza, isn't it? How long 'til he lands?"

"Could be any time. We aren't sure how far he is from landi-"

"Be quiet!" Vegeta snapped. "If you keep running your mouth, Freeza will find us. I'd rather not have him know that we're waiting for him. Besides, all this scary talk is frightening the Namek," Vegeta's pompous smile replaced his anger as he cut his eyes to a familiar turban-wearing, seven-foot green man.

"Wha- Piccolo? How long have you been there?" Piccolo didn't even turn to acknowledge the others. "Long enough to hear all of your senseless bickering…"

"Hey, look Krillen, it looks like everyone's here!" Gohan said excitedly. Krillen chuckled, "Guess it's safe to say we came to the right place."

Krillen and Gohan touched down to the hardened red clay. Gohan's big brown eyes were scanning the faces around him to judge Earth's chance of surviving when one unexpected face caught his attention.

"B-Bulma…?" He asked, his features resembling that of confusion. The blue haired goddess just smiled and waved.

"Hi, Gohan," she practically sang. Yamucha snorted under his breath and crossed his arms in a frustrated fashion. This earned him a bold slap on the head, courtesy of said goddess.

"Any word on Goku?" the exasperated baseball player inquired. Gohan shook his head solemnly. Bulma's excitement quickly faded. It didn't last for long.

"He's here!" Piccolo shouted. All eyes turned to the sky where an enormous spacecraft charged toward the planet Earth. The Z Team stood in anxiety, waiting for the craft to land and the demon from days passed to emerge. It flew over the warrior's heads, casting them all into shadow. It continued it's descend to Earth. When landing, the spacecraft carved a massive crater in the planet's face, forever scarring it with Freeza's return.

"Now there's no room for mistake," Vegeta said, breaking the silence, "We have to keep our energies suppressed so Freeza and his men can't sense us nearby. If he does, we're all screwed."

"There's no way we'll all stand a chance against a force like that!" Tien gaped. "He's stronger than I could have imagined."

"I'd hate to tell you, Tien, but this is only the tip of the iceberg," Gohan muttered. The young hybrid was trembling where he stood, unblinking, barely breathing. A large green hand gently clapped him on the shoulder, reassuring. Gohan swallowed and nodded to his mentor.

"We have to try." Piccolo said in an unusually calm voice, considering the circumstances. Yamucha blanched, "You aren't suggesting we actually attack him?! Like Tien said, we'd all get wiped out!"

Vegeta laughed sadistically, "You really have no choice. It's either die with dignity or die with your tail between your legs. Either way, Freeza's here. There's no going back."

* * *

The hatch of the malevolent ship opened with a hiss. Freeza and his father, King Cold, floated into the light of the innocent planet. His men marched behind, all looking a little frightened by their own masters. After all, if they messed up once, they would probably end up as the diabolical duo's lunch. They were disposable.

"Welcome to planet Earth, father," Freeza hissed in his unforgettable unisex voice. King Cold smiled sadistically, "How beautiful."

Freeza scrutinized his surroundings. A mirror of his father's smile played upon his lips and he closed his eyes, "How quaint…" They fluttered open again, but what Freeza saw nearly made his heart stop.

Goku stood in all of his Super Saiyan glory. Even though it had been a year since his fight with Freeza, he was still battered and bruised and his orange gi was still torn. The man turned and smirked at the bionic lizard before fading away.

Freeza's eyes twitched. His heart raced. All of his excitement caused his prosthetic limbs to spark with electricity. It wasn't the first time that Earthling ape has haunted his memories. However, his hallucinations had never been that vivid. Perhaps it was because he was on Kakarott's territory that made his imagination run so wildly.

"I will make him suffer for what he did to me," Freeza said, "I will make this whole planet suffer."

King Cold tilted his head, uninterested, "Please be quick about it. I don't want to have to stay on this mud ball. Not that I don't enjoy being here, I just simply can't understand why we don't just destroy it right now."

"You can be so naughty, Father," Freeza smiled again. "And here I was, wondering where I picked it up. I also picked up the knack for revenge, Father. Here, watch me as I pick the Saiyan's friends off one by one," he cackled.

* * *

Our beloved heroes made their way, albeit unsteadily, through the rocks to reach Freeza's ship undetected. Even Vegeta was having trouble keeping his power level in check as he used just enough to scale the face of a cliff.

Yamucha was bringing up the rear with his head hanging low. As he hopped from one jagged boulder to another, he grew more and more troubled. 'I just got wished back,' he thought, 'and now I have to face Freeza.'

"I don't think I can do this…" he mumbled.

"You have to," Gohan reassured. "We need you in the battle against Freeza. Don't give up, Yamucha…"

As the group reached the top of a cliff, they settled to listen in for Freeza's orders.

* * *

Freeza turned to his men suddenly. They jumped, but stood at attention instantly.

"I want all of you to comb this mud ball for the friends of Goku! I want every one of them!" Freeza barked.

"Yes sir!" The henchmen shouted in unison. They disappeared into thin air to complete their orders, but before they could even get ten feet into the air, their corpses dropped back to the ground, piece by piece.

"What the fuck?!" Freeza cursed. All spectators turned to the sky where two strangers slowly lowered themselves to the pile of bodies that were once Freeza's men.

Both strangers were men, handsome in their own way. One was shorter than the other by an inch or two. His cyan eyes were narrow but wild with excitement. His nose was narrow as well and tilted down slightly and his face was perfectly stretched across well sculpted cheekbones. His tan skin was contrasted by his feathery purple hair which was thin and light as it flowed in the gentle breeze. He stood with his shoulders back and his chin up in a confident fashion. His innocent appearance was shattered with a somewhat vicious smile and as he wiped his bloodstained sword on one of the bodiless head's hair.

The other stranger was paler in complexion and his neck and arms were marred with deep scars. He had wide, dark brown eyes and raven hair that was longer and straighter in the back and choppy in the back, like he'd taken it upon himself to butcher it with a knife. His cheekbones were not as prominent as his companion's, making him look more matured. His jaw and chin were sharper as well. His posture was not nearly as confident as his companion's. His dark head hung ever so slightly as he glared up through his eyelashes. His entire persona emanated a feeling of sadness, but he was very obviously angry.

"You… how could you have done that to my men, and so quickly?!" Freeza stuttered in utmost shock.

* * *

The Z Team was still a good mile away from the fight, but their trained eyes could still just see what was going on, and they were just as surprised.

"They have to be suicidal to go for Freeza head-on…" Krillen whispered, but he didn't take his eyes off the two men.

"Jesus Christ, I hope they're on our side!" Tien whispered back.

* * *

The longer the silence continued, the more impatient the dark haired stranger seemed to get. Even though it had only been a few milliseconds, he was practically radiating anger. He met eyes with Freeza, and something clicked in the bionic lizard's head.

"You… you're that kid…" he pointed a shaky finger toward the dark haired man. "But that's impossible… you can't be-" The man stepped forward suddenly, as if getting ready to charge, but a cool, tan hand landed on his chest before he could proceed.

"Allow me to take care of him, please, I would very much enjoy the practice," the lilac haired man said. The dark haired one just nodded and stepped back, allowing his companion to take charge.

"You must be Freeza," the lilac haired beauty alleged. "It's a pleasure to meet you. It's a shame we can't get to know each other better over coffee, but I'm afraid you'll have to die before we get the chance."

Freeza blanched at the man's confidence, but regained his footing instantly. "Oh, you think so, do you, punk?" Freeza snickered. "And what makes you think you can beat me, the almighty Freeza?"

"Almighty? Well, that's a laugh. Now, I'm going to destroy you."

"Oooh, we'd better run!" Freeza laughed. "You don't know what you're up against-"

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm up against, and I assure you, I'm not worried."

"You're pretty confident. That won't last long."

"I don't think you heard me… I said you're finished, Freeza!" Said lizard growled before turning to his men.

"You, finish this brat for me. The rest of you, spread out." The soldiers moved to action as soon as their orders were given. They surrounded the two strangers and dropped into fighting stances. The dark haired one leaned most of his weight onto one foot and crossed his arms nonchalantly, but still glared at Freeza.

"I guess I should warn you guys," the tanner stranger said arrogantly. "You have no chance against me." A red skinned warrior scoffed and tilted his head.

"You don't scare us, runt." The soldier ordered to finish the newcomers clicked his scouter button and numbers zoomed across the little green screen. When the numbers came to a stop, he laughed.

"Hey, his power level is only level five!" The other soldiers laughed. "I hope you've said your goodbyes, kid, because it's about time for you to go!" He raised his gun and aimed it at the two warriors, but neither of them flinched. The soldier pulled the trigger and released a powerful ki ball which flew at the two at breakneck speed, but the lilac haired man simply deflected it with his hand. In a slight panic, the soldier fired a few more blasts at the imposing stranger, all which were deflected effortlessly.

"Wh-what the… hell?!" He stuttered, but the moment the last syllable left his mouth, the lilac stranger knocked him into the side of the ship, killing him instantly. Freeza's eyes followed his former henchman's path of death before looking back over his shoulder to the lilac stranger.

"Well, it seems the dog has some bite to go with his bark."

The surrounding men lunged forward all at once, but the lilac warrior took them out just as effortlessly as he had the last. He had, in a flash, unsheathed his sword, sliced them all evenly, and returned to the dark warrior's side as he replaced his sword back into it's holding -1-.

The last of Freeza's soldiers simply fell to pieces, literally, before him. Freeza's left eye twitched and he ground his teeth. Electricity sparked around him once more.

"Why you little shit…" He growled, but his anger was soon replaced with an insane smile. "I must admit, you're impressive." The lilac warrior responded with a bored flip of his hair.

* * *

The Z Team watched in horror as Freeza's men fell to the ground.

"His power level… oh my God…" Krillen muttered, frozen by his terror.

"Yeah, this guy's power makes Freeza's seem like nothing…" Tien agreed.

'Where could a power like this could have come from? It's baffling…' Vegeta solicited to himself. 'Another power level… and it's even stronger than mine… stronger than Kakarott's… it's so… infuriating!'

"Hey, it's probably just Goku, you guys. He does have a knack for showing up just at the right time," Bulma reasoned and sighed in relief.

"No, he's not Goku, but he certainly isn't to be underestimated…" Yamucha said softly.

* * *

"How surprising," King Cold nearly sang in his frighteningly calm voice. "This may be more fun than we thought."

"And now, its time for you two to go down." The lilac warrior muttered.

"Hmm, I'll tell you what, kid. Let me give you a piece of advice. He who acquires his skill quickly is he who is the first to perish."

"Thanks for the tip," the lilac warrior said. Freeza blanched.

"Why you-"

"Listen up! Now I've got one for you, Freeza. Know your enemy. You've already made some pretty big assumptions about me, and that's something that's going to cost you dearly."

"Why you insolent little piece of sh-"

"Oh come on, son…" King Cold complained, "Just destroy him already. We don't have all day."

"He's right, you don't have all day. More like, five minutes." The lilac warrior smiled.

"Oh, and here I've made dinner plans…"

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cancel your date with Goku." Freeza's eyes widened.

"Well, I'll do a favor for you; I'll make your end quick and painless. Here we go." Freeza said arrogantly before preparing to lunge.

The lilac haired stranger disappeared from the dark one's side and reappeared in front of Freeza. In one fluid movement, he unsheathed his sword with one hand and swiped the lizard, sawing him in two, and then blasting him into oblivion with his other hand.

"Wh.. What.. How… but… what…" King Cold stood there, shocked, as he watched the ashes of his son float to the earthy ground and float away in the breeze." The lilac haired warrior relaxed his stance and looked over to King Cold.

* * *

"Whoa… That guy just vaporized Freeza… and he didn't even break a sweat!" Yamucha said. Vegeta's eyes were bugging out of his head, "But who is he?"

"I can't miss this." Tien said, "I'm going in closer to get a better look." And with that, he blasted off into the air with the others following close behind.

* * *

"Well, you beat Freeza…" King Cold said with a smile. "Encountering a fighter of your caliber is quite a rare occasion indeed. But it presents quite an opportunity… I could use a right-hand man with powers such as yours. What do you say, will you join me?"

The lilac haired warrior scoffed. "Join you? That's a comedy. Besides, I already have a partner." He motioned to the dark warrior who hadn't even flinched throughout the whole event. If anything, he looked bored.

King Cold didn't miss a beat. "Well then, before you destroy me… would you do me the honor of allowing me to see your sword…?"

The lilac warrior merely smiled. "You want to see my sword, huh?" He unsheathed it slowly. As the blade scraped against its holding, it made a sickening slicing sound. The lilac haired warrior tossed the blade by the hilt to the evil king, "Here, catch."

King Cold caught it by the hilt and examined the blade. "Yes, such a fine weapon as this just begs to be admired… and I have a hunch that you would not have defeated my son had it not been for this sword." He tilted the blade so he could better see the lilac warrior before him. "…What do you say?"

"Believe what you want to," the lilac warrior sang with a confident smile.

"Hah, alright! I will! I say without this sword, you are nothing!" King Cold held it with both hands and got in a rather awkward fighting stance. He swung the sword with a battle cry and with all his might, but only to be stopped by the palm of a hand. His eyes followed the opposing arm to the shoulder and finally to the face of the dark warrior.

And he did not look too happy.

King Cold growled in defiance and pushed harder against the man's palm, but not a single drop of blood was shed.

The Z Team landed a good fifty yards from the fight taking place. Yamucha put Bulma down a little too roughly.

"Hey, look. The other guy is in the fight now," Krillen pointed out. The others watched intensely.

"Do you think he's stronger than that purple haired guy?" Tien asked.

"I don-" But the answer was interrupted with a strong gust of wind as the dark warrior erupted with a flash of golden light.

"A.. a.. you're a super… super… super…" King Cold stepped back in fear.

"A Super Saiyan," the dark one replied coldly. "So much for your theory. You should know that the weapon doesn't make the man." He pushed back on the blade, making King Cold stumble backwards, but the dark warrior never released his grip. Instead, he ripped the sword out of King Cold's hands and tossed it into the air. The beastlike lizard stood there, stunned, as the Super Saiyan delivered a swift ki blast through his heart. King Cold stumbled backwards, trying to regain his composure despite the fact that a hole had been burned through his torso. He hacked and spat up a familiar red liquid as he met eyes with the dark warrior.

"Ka… ka… rott…" he mumbled before the dark warrior blasted him to oblivion as well.

As the sword fell back to Earth due to her gravity, the lilac warrior simply tilted his torso and the blade slid right in to its holding. The dark warrior twisted around then and blasted the ship of the late Freeza and King Cold, making it explode from the inside out.

The Super Saiyan dropped out of his transformed state and met eyes with the shorter warrior. Said warrior glared at him, frustrated, "I said I would take care of them."

The dark one offered an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I got a little… impatient." The lilac one just scoffed and rolled his eyes, but returned the dark one's smile. He cut his eyes over to the cliff the Z Team was behind, just catching them as they ducked behind the wall again.

"Oh, crap…" Yamucha mumbled, "Did they see us?"

Krillen took another daring peek over the edge of the cliff, only to meet striking blue eyes that were mere inches away from his own brown ones. Krillen made a strangled sound and fell backwards. He tripped along his words as he nervously scooted backwards, only to have his back touch the legs of a very familiar green man. These spooked the monk even more and he jumped up to join Bulma and little Gohan a few feet away.

"Who are you?" Piccolo demanded just as the dark warrior pulled himself over the cliff's edge to join his smaller companion. Piccolo drilled holes into the dark haired one, but the man simply refused to make eye contact. However, the shorter warrior had no trouble with speaking up, even though it wasn't to answer Piccolo's question.

"We're going to meet Goku. If you'd like to come along, then you're welcome to join us," he sang and turned on his heel, blasting off in the direction of Goku's supposed arrival. The dark haired man lifted his eyes slowly and met the ones of the intimidating ex-monster. He drew his lips into a thin line, concentrating on the little staring contest. He bit his lip warily, but it was so fast that Piccolo nearly missed it.

Then it clicked. He knew this man. He knew that habit. But, before he could say anything, the dark one shot off in the same direction as his cohort.

"Come on, Piccolo, let's go. That guy says Dad's going to be here soon. What do we have to lose?" Gohan said excitedly as he floated around his mentor's head. Piccolo nodded slowly before lifting off and following the others at a slower pace. Gohan flew next to him, studying his expression.

"Hey, Piccolo," Gohan began. Piccolo made an acknowledging grunt, encouraging Gohan to continue, "Did you know that guy?"

Piccolo's hairless forehead wrinkled in concentration, "To be honest, Gohan, he did look familiar. He almost looked like…" Piccolo glanced at his young pupil, who was urging him to continue, but the man just shook his head, "I thought I knew him from somewhere. Maybe he was on that thing you humans watch."

"Uh, TV?" Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that."

"But, Piccolo… you live in the woods."

"…Right."

* * *

Upon arriving to the spot the two mysterious men decided to land, the Z Team nervously landed. These two beings were very obviously stronger than all of them combined. Neither of them had even broken a sweat when taking down the same reptile tyrant that they themselves had struggled to hard with. The two could change their minds at any time and take back any kind gesture that they'd offered so far in the blink of an eye.

The dark haired Saiyan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small capsule. The Z Team tensed, all eyes on him. He just raised an eyebrow and clicked the capsule and tossed it in the air. The capsule burst into a puff of smoke and a circular robot hovered above the gravel. It had four limbs hanging off of it like arms and legs and a big, red eye.

"Giru-giru" the little robot mumbled in a robotic voice. The lilac haired warrior groaned, "Aww, why'd ya bring Giru?!" He complained. The dark haired one smiled, "Because I thought he'd be useful." The little robot purred happily in his mechanical voice.

"How is that greedy little plaything useful other than keeping your daughter company?" The lilac warrior pouted.

"Giru," the dark one sang, "approximately how much more time until Goku arrives on Earth?"

"Gzz… Giru… approximately one hour, fifty-eight minutes, and twenty-two seconds to go." The dark haired one smirked triumphantly. The lilac haired one just scoffed and reached into his own pocket, pulling out a capsule as well. The Z Team, more curious than nervous by now, watched to see what interesting contraption he would pull out.

With another burst of smoke, a miniature refrigerator appeared on the ground. The lilac one popped open the door and smiled over to the on looking audience, "Help yourselves. We're going to be here for a while," he shot a look to the dark haired man, who just smiled, then continued, "so there's plenty of drinks here for everyone. Er… what's wrong…?"

Every member of the Z Team had eyes the size of dinner plates. Krillen was the first to speak up, "Well… you kill Freeza's men. You kill Freeza. And you kill that guy-" "King Cold," the lilac one interrupted. Krillen shook his head and continued, "Right, King Cold, and now you're offering us drinks as we wait for Goku? I don't understand."

The lilac one tilted his head curiously, "What's not to get?"

"Well… why didn't you come after us, too?" Tien asked. The dark haired one bit his lip.

"We have nothing against you. And besides, we're all here waiting for the same guy, right? So we're all on the same side," he reasoned.

Bulma smiled warmly at him and stepped forward, taking a drink from the little refrigerator, "Well, I guess you have a point. What are your names, anyway?" Her sapphire eyes met his brown ones. The eye contact didn't last long, for he tilted his head back down to stare at his shoes. This made Bulma smile more.

"Shy type, huh?" It was more of a statement than a question.

The lilac one spoke up, "Call me Mirai." Bulma nodded her head at him, "Hello, Mirai."

"And call him…" Mirai trailed off, staring at his counterpart. The dark warrior concentrated for a split second, rattling off the first name that came to mind, "Majunior." At this, Piccolo's eyes widened. The dark one- Majunior- glanced up at him and flinched, seemingly yelling at himself in his mind.

"Mirai and Majunior, huh? Those are interesting names. Where are you from?" She conversed idly. Mirai shot a worried look at Majunior.

"We're… not from around here," Majunior mumbled, still not making eye contact. Bulma decided to pop the question on everyone's minds, "Are you Saiyans?"

They were quiet. Mirai struggled for words, but found none, and ended up begging his partner for help with his eyes.

"Yes of course they're not Saiyans, woman!" Vegeta shouted. Mirai fixed his eyes on the full-blooded prince. His throat became tight.

"Oh shut up, Vegeta! I was just asking a question! Besides, Majunior transformed into a Super Saiyan, which, as I recall, you can't even do yourself! So that proves that at least he's a Saiyan and that you're not always right! You and Goku aren't the only two Saiyans left!" Bulma fumed. The two newcomers behind her exchanged gazes before returning to the steaming goddess before them. Mirai smiled.

Gohan shuffled up to the trio. He stopped in front of Majunior and gazed up at him, "Hi."

"Hi," Majunior said. He couldn't avert his stare to anything else, seeing as the young boy blocked his view of his feet, Bulma was in front of him, Mirai was to his left and the rest of the team was to his right. There was no where for Majunior to run, unless he wanted to seem even more suspicious.

Gohan grinned childishly, "Do you guys have orange juice?" A small smile tugged at Majunior's lips, earning Gohan an even bigger grin. With a lazy gesture, he offered the little boy an orange drink.

"Wow! This is my favorite kind! How'd you know?" Gohan asked playfully after opening the can and gulping down half of it in one swoop. Majunior's smile broadened, "It's my favorite, too."

Eventually everyone took a can of their favorite drink which- completely by coincidence, Mirai assured a suspicious Yamucha- they all enjoyed. After finishing the refreshing beverages, each retired to their own perch to wait for their friendly neighborhood alien.

* * *

The minutes seemed to drag on for a million hours. Each warrior busied themselves with something to make the time go by faster. Mirai concentrated on staring at Vegeta and glancing away when said prince turned to meet his eyes. Once or twice Vegeta would catch him, but the young purple haired warrior had nothing to say to the prince's shouting.

Majunior passed the time by adjusting his little robot's circuits. He tried to explain to Gohan what he was doing, but only half of the technological gunk got through to the son of Goku's brain. The older warrior didn't seem to mind, even though he knew his words were going through one ear and out the other.

Bulma took a short stroll over to Mirai's rock and sat next to him. He tried to seem like he didn't notice her, but it proved to be rather difficult when her shoulder brushed against his jacketed bicep.

"Hey, that's the Capsule Corp logo," she pointed out. Mirai jumped at the sudden sound of her voice, especially since the whole team had gone about an hour without a word being said.

"Uh, y-yes it is," he muttered, all previous confidence now in hushed respect. She smiled and leaned forward to make eye contact with the mysterious warrior. "Do you work there?"

"No… I'm just a big fan," he mumbled in reply. Bulma nodded. From about fifteen yards away, Majunior made the slightest nod in Mirai's direction. The purple haired warrior looked over to Vegeta again, but the prince was already glaring at him, as if waiting for Mirai to look again.

"What the hell are you staring at?!" Vegeta shouted. Mirai looked away quickly, "Uh, nothing… I just like your… shirt."

"You would." Vegeta replied.

Bulma strolled over to where Krillen was sitting on the ground, playing with his grape soda can. She joined him.

"Hey," she whispered, "don't you think those two look alike?"

Krillen tilted his head and looked over to Mirai, then back to Vegeta, "I guess so. I mean, in looks. The Mirai guy seems pretty nice, but Vegeta has the personality of a stump."

"Yeah," Bulma agreed, "but he's a prince. Princes are supposed to act bored, like the world's not good enough for them."

"Yeah, but Vegeta acts more agitated than bored, like he's got a bad case of hemorrhoids or something…"

Mirai glanced back to the prince again, but Vegeta was still waiting, "Why do you keep looking over here?! If you like the shirt, you can have it."

"N-no, no thank you…" Mirai mumbled.

"Then knock it off, kid," Vegeta growled. Mirai just smiled as he looked back down.

* * *

"Okay, it's been two hours. Where the hell is Goku?!" Yamucha demanded impatiently. Giru buzzed to life from Majunior's side.

"Approximately thirty seconds until Goku enters Earth atmosphere." Bulma jumped up, "You heard the robot. Thirty seconds. Can you hold it for that long?"

Yamucha fired back, "That little trashcan is just splitting hairs now. There's no way in Hell that thing could possibly know the approximate time for Goku's arri-" a glass-shattering sonic boom resounded over the team's heads as a Saiyan space pod flew overhead and crash-landed onto the face of the Earth.

"No way…" Tien mumbled.

"Goku," Majunior stood up and strode to the deep crater. The others followed close behind. Together, they peered down into the crater. The hatch door opened and lifted with a hiss as condensed air was released. A large shadow stepped out of the pod. When it hit the light, it glanced up.

And laughed.

"Hey, guys! What are you doing here?" Said the ever happy Goku. He was barely able to finish his sentence before a little blur tackled him and clung to his chest. Goku looked down and hugged his little son back, "Hey there, Gohan! Did'ja miss me?" Gohan looked up with rivers of tears running down his pudgy little cheeks. Goku smiled, "I missed you too!" With his son in his arms, Goku clambered up the side of the crater and greeted his friends, receiving piles of hugs and tears.

Majunior turned his head, seemingly unable to watch the strong display of emotion between Goku and his friends. Mirai clapped him reassuringly on the back before glancing back over to Vegeta. Goku's eyes traveled across the faces of his friends, smiling at each one of them, until his gaze met with the two strangers. His smile didn't falter, however. What is a stranger after you've met them, after all?

"Hey, who are you guys?" Goku asked innocently. Bulma hugged her longtime friend's arm and answered for them, "They're mystery men! They defeated Freeza like it was nothing, and they say they know you, Goku."

"But, that can't be right. I've never seen them before in my life," Goku scratched his head.

"Wh-what? But they know so much about you! They even knew when you'd be here, right down to the last second!" Goku just tilted his head and stared curiously.

Majunior finally spoke up, "Goku, can I please talk to you?" Mirai shifted his gaze up to his friend. Majunior's posture was more confident. His eyes were more daring, but they were shiny, like he was an inch away from just bursting into tears.

"Please, privately…" he glanced at the faces of Goku's friends. Goku smiled and nodded, "Sure." With that, the two Saiyans lifted off and floated to the other side of the enormous crater caused by Goku's pod.

Yamucha turned to Mirai, "What does he want with Goku?" The purple haired warrior smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. He just wants to talk."

* * *

"Is this far enough?" Goku inquired. Majunior responded by landing, Goku following his action soon after. The two stood face-to-face to each other. Majunior was barely an inch shorter than Goku.

"I know you, don't I?" Goku said. It was more of a statement than a question. Majunior nodded, "How…?"

"Just from looking at your eyes. When I do, I feel like I know you so well," Goku grinned, but it didn't have the same effect on Majunior as he'd intended, for the man began to tremble slightly.

"Hey, calm down. Now tell me, you obviously have something very important, or else you wouldn't have gone through this much trouble to find me." Majunior's eyes began to water.

"Well, this may sound strange, but you have to trust me. My friend and I, we're from the future. We traveled here in a time machine because something terrible is going to happen, and it will destroy the world as you know it.

"In two years, two androids will appear nine miles Southwest of South City at ten o'clock A.M. These androids are monsters, Goku, they are machines built solely on destruction. Their power is even greater than mine and my friend's. In my timeline, they've wiped out everyone you know and love: Yamucha, Tien, Chaotzu, Krillen, Piccolo, and even Vegeta. They took them all."

Goku listened in silent wonder, but then something clicked, "Wait, you said they all are killed by the androids. Do I get killed by them, too?" Majunior shook his head.

"No, you're killed a few months before Gohan's eleventh birthday. It's ironic in a sick, twisted sort of way. The fact that you're a magnificent warrior, and your death is caused by a radical virus that attacks the heart. Something you can't beat up. You'll start hearing about it soon. There's no cure for it now, but in my time, there is.

"Take this," he said and pulled a small capsule out of his pocket. "There are seven bottles of pills in there that you need to take twice a day when the chest pains begin. Once before breakfast and once after dinner. Take it, for your health."

"A few months before Gohan's eleventh birthday, huh?" Goku tossed the capsule in the air before dropping it carefully in a pouch hanging on his belt. Goku looked up to meet the eyes of the warrior before him. "You're from the future," he smiled. "If that's true, then I know who you are. You've grown into a wonderful young man, Gohan."

That was the last straw. The flood gates opened in the grown Gohan's eyes. Try as he might to close them, the tears just wouldn't stop pouring down. Goku opened his arms and Gohan flew into them, but Goku didn't even stumble back. He hugged his grown son to his chest and let him cry.

* * *

"What the… What's he doing?" Yamucha mumbled to no one in particular.

"Er, it looks like he's crying, Yamucha," Krillen pointed out. Yamucha glared at the monk, "I know that, Krillen, thank you. But I want to know why he's crying." Yamucha shifted his aggravated gaze to Mirai.

"You know what's happening. What is it?" Yamucha demanded. Mirai didn't take his eyes off the reunited father and son, "If they wanted you to know so soon, they wouldn't have gone to talk in private…" With that, Mirai glanced over to Vegeta who met his gaze unhappily.

"What?!"

Mirai smiled.

* * *

"Shhh, Gohan," Goku soothed. As his son leaned against his chest, he took the chance to examine Gohan's condition. The scars that littered his milky skin were from ancient and recent battles. One cut, which was not yet a scar, looked so new it could be said that it was given to him just this morning. The cut was deep and still glared an angry red. However, there were a few scars that caught his attention. These were not battle scars; they were far too neat to be. They lined up, one on top of the other, on the underside of his forearm. They looked self-inflicted. Despite their obvious age, the scars were still painful reminders of a little boy's haunted mind.

"You've been gone for sixteen years," the hybrid whimpered. "Our lives have been in total chaos since you left. Mom committed suicide and Grandpa died of grief. Piccolo is dead so the dragonballs are useless. My timeline is a living nightmare." Gohan pulled away and wiped his eyes. Goku smiled emotively, "Tell me; were there any other survivors?" He asked to try and take Gohan's mind off of the pain. Gohan recomposed himself, but his eyes were still watery and bloodshot.

"Yes. The only other survivors were Bulma and my friend, who was a baby at the time." Goku's eyebrows raised, "A baby?"

"Yes. My friend is Bulma's son."

"Wow! Really? Bulma's son, huh? Well he does look a lot like Dr. Briefs now that I look at him. Who's his father? Do I know him? Is it Yamucha?"

"No, it's not Yamucha, but yes, you do know him. It's… Vegeta."

Goku faltered, "V-VEGETA?!" Gohan bit his lip and raised his hands to motion for Goku to bring his voice down. From the other side of the crater, Piccolo nearly lost his balance.

"Wow. Vegeta! He really does look a lot like Vegeta," Goku whispered as he compared Mirai's and Vegeta's faces.

"His name is Trunks. He was born not long after I turned ten. But, please don't say anything. If they catch on to what is supposed to happen, it might not happen, so it's very important that they don't know. I know it seems impossible, but trust me, they'll find their way to each other eventually."

Goku nodded, "I understand." Gohan breathed a sigh of relief.

"So… what happens now?" Goku asked. Gohan shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Well, I was hoping I could tell the others about what happened. I think they'll believe you if you believe me about my insane story." Goku laughed gaily. This made Gohan smile with confidence.

Goku nodded and the two lifted off to return to their very curious friends.

"Hey guys, we're back!" Goku announced, though it was unnecessary. Mirai Gohan landed softly next to Trunks and the two exchanged smiles. He then glanced over to Piccolo. The green man met his stern gaze, but it softened instantly.

"Don't tell," Mirai Gohan said. Piccolo shook his head.

"I won't say anything that might endanger your friend, but I do believe you need to tell the others what is going on. They deserve to know."

"Hey, how do you know what we were talking about?" Goku asked. Piccolo's voice didn't change, "I have very sensitive hearing, and I heard every word," his gaze returned to Mirai Gohan. "You have to tell them."

Mirai Gohan nodded, "I was planning on it."

"Well tell us already," Bulma insisted.

"It's a long story…"

"Well, then we can go back to CC. It's a lot more homey than this desert wasteland…" Bulma said and crossed her arms. Goku grinned, "Let's go!"

* * *

The team arrived at CC in no time. Bunny was out in the garden in which they landed, watering the plants.

"Oh well look who it is!" She said in her strong Yankee accent, "Goku! You're just as handsome as ever!" Goku blushed and laughed, showing off the famous Son Scratch.

"And who are these handsome young gentlemen?" She asked, pointing the water hose in their direction. Trunks had to dodge the spray of water. Bunny giggled and covered her mouth, "Oh, I'm sorry hunny! Say, you look awful familiar…" she said and walked up to them after turning off the hose. "In fact, you look just like my hus-"

"Let's go inside!" Goku interrupted and skipped towards the door. Everyone followed, confused as to why the man was acting so pushy. Bunny just smiled and returned to her gardening.

* * *

"...So, that's everything. Goku is in danger, but I gave him medicine that should stop the virus in it's tracks. There's extra medicine in that capsule for anyone else that may catch it, in case it's contagious."

Mirai Gohan's audience was quiet. They were trying to absorb the information they were just given. Krillen was the first to speak up, "Hey, how do you know so much about all of us?" He mumbled. Everyone raised their heads. This was the question Mirai Gohan had been waiting for, and as their stares bore into him, his heart began pounding faster.

"Not everyone died," he began. "There were two sole survivors, and they're in this room right now. They're…" He paused shortly, "Bulma and Gohan.

"…I'm Gohan."

**TBC…**

* * *

-1- If anyone would be so kind as to tell me what the thing is that holds the sword is called? My memory fails me.

Whoo! First chapter done. It's 22 beautiful pages of Microsoft Word 2003. Yay!

This IS a rewrite of my last story, "By Any Other Name," except this one is a lot more developed and thought out. Please tell me if you like it! If you want to read "By Any Other Name" to compare the two stories, just say so in your review and I'll email you a copy. It's not nearly as long as this chapter, so there's no problem.

"You want to see my sword, huh?" God, that's my favorite line in the whole saga. Trunks, you're a stud. Anyway, I tried to plagiarize the actual two episodes as little as I could up until the point where I wanted it to twist around. I don't own DBZ (if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here in front of a decade-old computer, typing away at fan fictions like a lonely little schoolgirl).

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button and type away.

-don darko.


	2. One At A Time

Impasse

Impasse

By Don Darko

Author's note: Thank you to all of you who reviewed! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Hopefully this chapter will clear up some uncertainties you had before.

-

"So, that's everything. Goku is in danger, but I have him medicine that should stop the virus in its tracks. There's extra medicine in that capsule for anyone else that may catch it, in case it's contagious."

Mirai Gohan's audience was quiet. They were trying to absorb the information they were just given. Krillen was the first to speak up, "Hey, how do you know so much about all of us?" He mumbled. Everyone raised their heads. This was the question Mirai Gohan had been waiting for, and as their stares bore into him, his heart began pounding faster.

"Not everyone died," he began. "There were two sole survivors, and they're in this room right now. They're…" He paused shortly, "Bulma and Gohan.

"…I'm Gohan."

The room was dead silent. Mirai Gohan, who had had his gaze locked on the paisley rug, slowly lifted his head to meet the gazes of his long-dead companions.

"I… This is impossible," Vegeta cried. "This denies the laws of… this…" As he struggled for words, he became more and more frustrated. The man before him, who claimed he was not only a Saiyan, but a Half-Saiyan, who was also a Super Saiyan. This supposed half-blood bastard had achieved levels of power that even he himself, the Prince of Saiyans, had never achieved before.

And to top it all off, this half-breed Super Saiyan was the demon spawn of that third-class idiot, Kakarott.

"I agree with Vegeta," Yamucha said quietly as the prince fumed. "What you say can't be possible. Time travel is physically impossible."

Bulma huffed. "Oh come on! Have we not already defied the laws of science? Not only can one of our best friends reach insane levels," she thrust her thumb in Goku's direction, "but we visited our local green man's home planet," she tilted her head in Piccolo's direction. "Don't tell me that travelling through time is physically impossible. I'm a scientist, I live to explore possibilities."

Mirai Gohan smiled gently at her, "I knew you'd believe me, Bulma."

The blue haired woman smiled, "But to prove it to these muscle heads, I think the most accurate way to prove your story is to do a blood test on you and our little warrior here," she winked and placed a hand on Chibi Gohan's head, who immediately blushed and cast his eyes in another direction.

"So be it," Mirai Gohan said. He turned his head and smiled at his lavender haired companion.

-

Two syringes and a hysterical Goku later, our team was passing the time in the entertainment room of Capsule Corp's personal wing. Krillen and Goku were planted in front of Bulma's hi-def flat-screen television and were animatedly playing a cartoonish racing game.

"Goku, I don't think leaning from side to side makes your car turn faster," Tien reasoned. Goku turned his head, confused.

"Well sure it does, Tien!" Goku grinned and turned back to the game, but he complained when his car drove straight off the nearby cliff, due to his distraction.

Mirai Gohan chuckled softly from his seat on the couch. Chibi Gohan, who had been lying on the floor by his older clone's feet, looked up. The curiosity shone bright in his eyes as he took Mirai Gohan's distraction as an opportunity to study him.

The man certainly did look a lot like the boy Gohan saw when he looked into the mirror. Even though Mirai Gohan's feathery raven hair was chopped off in what appeared to be posthaste, it had the same spiky texture as his own. His chocolate brown eyes were aged with experience, but the man himself appeared no more than his mid-twenties. His skin was carved with deep, painful scars that were impossible to hide. He had two noticeable scars on his face: One beginning from the innermost corner of his left eye and sloping around the bottom of his eye. The scar stretched all the way to his hairline, where it disappeared.

The other scar began at his forehead and crossed down, over his right eye. It finally came to a stop when it lined up with the corners of his lips. The lips themselves even had tiny bite marks where years of his lip-biting habit plagued their softness.

Chibi Gohan bit his own lip.

A loud explosion resounded throughout the room as the door caved in and crumpled into a million splinters of wood. The noise convened every pair of eyes to the detonated door frame.

And a pissed off Chichi stalked inside.

Goku's eyes widened, "Chi!" He abandoned his game and jumped to his feet. The woman glared up at him, but the anger ebbed away.

"G-Goku! Oh, Goku!" She hugged the man tightly. He hugged her back. Chibi Gohan sighed in relief and turned away as his mother smooched his father. However, the peace did not last for long, as Chichi remembered why she broke the door down in the first place.

"GOHAN!" She yelled. Chibi Gohan stumbled to his feet instantly, standing at attention. He stood with practiced posture, one that was fit for a soldier rather than for an eight year old boy. His mother marched up to him and placed her hands on her hips.

"You snuck out without my permission! You abandoned your studies to fight! You could have been hurt, Gohan! Do you have any idea how much you worried me?!"

A short chuckle escaped Mirai Gohan's lips, but he visibly regretted it when Chichi turned her harsh eyes on him. He clamped a pale hand over his mouth.

"Who are you?!" She demanded. Mirai Gohan was at a loss for words as his mouth hung open like a suffocating fish. "Well?" She demanded.

"He really is Gohan Son…" a voice came from behind them. Bulma was standing at the ruined doorway with a long sheet of paper hanging from her fingertips. Her large blue eyes were even wider as they gazed down at the results from the blood test.

"Both of their DNA samples are identical. They are both Half-Saiyan Gohan Son." She lifted her eyes to meet those of the proven time traveler.

"What are you talking about, Bulma? That man is not my little Gohan," Chichi said and placed her hands gently on top of her eight-year-old's head. Bulma fixed her gaze on the other woman. "Chichi, he is your son. He and his friend over there," she glanced at Trunks, "came from the future in a time machine to save us. DNA does not lie." She waved the paper.

Mirai Gohan offered a weak smile when his mother's shocked gaze shifted to him.

"Oh… my… God…" she mumbled. She very carefully stepped toward her full-grown son. It took every ounce of her strength to fight the security of unconsciousness. She stopped in front of him and placed both of her hands very gently on his cheeks. She traced his scars with her fingertips, starting from the one on his right eye, to the one under his left eye, to the ones riddling his neck, to the ones leading to his arms, to the ones hiding underneath the sleeves of his shirt.

"T-take your shirt off," she mumbled softly, still entranced by his wounds. He hesitated and looked around him. He searched for encouragement in each face. These people were his friends. They cared about him. He locked eyes with Trunks. The purple haired man nodded his head once and gave an encouraging smile.

"Go on, Gohan. Show them what the future has offered you."

Mirai Gohan returned his gaze back to his mother and one by one, he popped open each button that covered the years of war he carried on his shoulders. The white silk shirt slipped down his arms, only to be caught by his waiting hands.

There, on Mirai Gohan's chest, were dozens of near-fatal gashes that would have killed any normal person. Some of the wounds were so deep; they just left ditches in his once beautiful porcelain flesh. But, the crippling scars were not what made each warrior choke. It was the promise that had been carved into his back.

On his back were two numbers: "#17" and, "#18." The two were separated by a series of scars forming together to make a dotted line around his midsection. After a few moments of silence, Mirai Gohan spoke, "The threat that faces you in the near future is not to be taken lightly. The two androids that destroyed my world… their names are Android Seventeen and Eighteen. Mirai and I need everyone's help to change this," he looked down at himself, "to what is meant to be.

"Those monsters gave me every one of these scars. I fight them every day of my life, but I just barely scrape by with my life. What you see carved into my back is the deal they made amongst themselves when I was twenty years old. They made a deal that when I died, they'd cut me in half and use my corpse for their own twisted pleasures, whatever those may be."

Chichi turned away from the horror that was to become of her son and bent down to her little eight-year-old's height. Without one word, she grabbed the little boy by his shoulders and squeezed him. Goku walked over carefully and bent down by her and hugged her gently, trying not to suffocate the little boy any more than his wife already was. Mirai Gohan pulled his shirt back on and quickly buttoned it back into place. Trunks approached him and gently put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. The two exchanged a small smile.

"Oh, all of you are hopeless… I'm going to my gravity room. Don't bother me," Vegeta grumbled and pushed his way out of the room.

When Chichi was finished strangling her son with one of her motherly hugs, she stood up straight and held Chibi Gohan's hand protectively. She met the older Gohan's eyes with surprising confidence, considering how she'd been sobbing just moments before. She smirked.

"You don't think that I'm going to believe that all you've done all your life is fight. You've had to have had something else in your life…" she trailed off, eyeing the man curiously.

Krillen's head snapped to attention, "Hey, when we were on the battlefield waiting for Goku, didn't you say something about that robot, Mirai?"

Trunks blinked, but it clicked soon after, "Giru."

"Yeah, that thing. You said something like… 'How is that greedy little plaything useful other than keeping your daughter company?' Or something like that."

Chichi's face lit up like a Christmas tree, "Daughter?!"

Mirai Gohan's face flushed blood red, "Ah, y-yes… my daughter." Yamucha and Krillen cackled. The monk nudged Mirai Gohan's arm and grinned devilishly.

"So… you have yourself a woman, eh?" This earned him a hard slap on the head, courtesy of Chichi. The woman pointed down at her little son and cleared her throat.

"Aw, come on, Chi, they aren't stupid enough to get into that," Bulma said, smiling. "At least, I hope they aren't."

Krillen and Yamucha laughed jokingly. Mirai Gohan bowed his head and gave a weak smile.

"So, man, you're married!" Yamucha laughed and clapped Mirai Gohan on the back.

"Er, well, sort of," Mirai Gohan admitted. The two teasing men stopped their laughing.

"Sort of? You have a kid and you're 'sort of' married?"

"It's complicated. You see, before she died, she was-"

"Whoa-whoa," Chichi interrupted, "died?! My daughter in law is dead?!"

Mirai Gohan drew his lips into a thin line and bowed his head. Trunks, having not taken his hand away, rubbed the other's back before explaining in a low, calm voice.

"Yes, Gohan's 'wife' was murdered by the androids," he said. At this, Mirai Gohan let out a soft, sarcastic laugh. Trunks continued, "But at the time she became pregnant, she was engaged to marry the man who was elected to become the King of the World. You see, our world is completely demolished. There are no rules anymore. But in an effort to save and restore order, the people elected one person who was to lead them into the next era.

"She was a fighter herself, so she was a natural choice for the King of the World. It was not a willing decision on her end. When the pregnancy tests came out positive, the King of the World married her the next day. She and Gohan were forbidden to talk to each other, due to… past difficulties between Gohan and the new King of the World. But the day she died, though, she was two weeks past her due date. She and Gohan saw each other again in a coffee shop. The androids appeared, and they… took her life. But luckily, the child was saved…

"And the child turned out to be Gohan's." Trunks gave a small smile to his best friend, knowing that remembering the unfortunate history of his love life was not something he cared to remember.

The Z Team stood in respectful silence for a moment, but it was interrupted when, out of all people, Piccolo asked, "So, where is the child now?"

Mirai Gohan lifted his head and met the eyes of his former, long-dead mentor. "She and Bulma are hidden in Capsule Corp in our world. They were instructed that at the first sign of danger, they were to take the extra time machine and come here."

As if on cue, an obviously young, but unfamiliar, energy seemed to materialize out of nowhere. It was located right outside the Capsule Corp doors. Mirai Gohan visibly stiffened. His eyes grew wider and he glanced fearfully at Trunks, who returned his gaze.

"It, it couldn't be. That's too fast. Maybe it's just a coincidence…" Trunks muttered in denial.

"No, that's…"

"Bulma, pumpkin! There's a little girl with black hair in the garden asking for Gohan… is she a friend of yours, son?" Dr. Briefs poked his head around the corner of the doorway. In a flash, Mirai Gohan was sprinting down the hallway, Trunks close behind.

-

The two hybrids, followed by the rest of the Z Team, burst into the lobby of Capsule Corporation, surprising many of the workers surrounding them. There were two police men standing next to a hysterical young girl whose chubby cheeks were red and stained with her salty tears. When she met eyes with Mirai Gohan, the tears came twice as hard.

"Daddy!" She shouted and pushed past the officers with surprising strength. Mirai Gohan slid across the linoleum floors with the caliber that would make any baseball player cry with pride. The small girl flung herself into his arms and latched herself onto his neck, burying her red face into his shoulder.

"Pan… Panny what happened?" Mirai Gohan mumbled soothingly. It was a failed attempt to calm the frantic girl down. He hugged her to his chest as any loving parent would do. When she calmed down enough to be able to speak, he pulled her away and looked into her eyes.

"Panny, tell me. Where is Miss Bulma?" Mirai Gohan asked slowly. Pan's wide, panicked brown eyes darted from face to face.

"She-she-she is… She is sti-still back th-there," Pan stuttered. "Sh-she told m-m-me t-to go ah-head. She-e was b-bleeding. B-but she-she threw me int-to the t-time mach-chine, and told me t-t-to f-find you-u. Pl-please, D-Daddy. Do some-someth-thing…"

Mirai Gohan listened with the patience of a saint as his daughter stumbled over her words. He looked up at Trunks and nodded.

"I'm going. I'll be back with Bulma. Here, Goku, hold her," Mirai Gohan mumbled and pushed the little girl into his father's strong arms.

"NO!" Pan screamed and struggled against the full-blood. "No, Daddy! Don't leave me! Please, don't leave me! Don't leave!!" Goku held onto her tightly as Mirai Gohan disappeared behind the double glass doors. In a frenzied panic, Pan spun around, planted her tiny fist into Goku's cheek, and took off in the same direction as her father as soon as her feet hit the ground.

Goku's eyes were wide as he touched his cheek where the child had hit him. It didn't particularly hurt, but it did shock him quite a bit.

"Goku, are you alright?" Krillen asked as he stopped to help his best friend up.

"Yeah, but… she has one hell of a right hook."

Outside, Mirai Gohan was about to hop into his just decapsulated time machine when the double doors flew open and something latched onto his leg.

"Don't go… not again Daddy… please, don't go… You'll never come back, so please…" Mirai Gohan bent down to his daughter's height and held her shoulders soothingly. Just as the others were coming outside, he wiped away her tears and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

"Don't worry, Panny, I'll be back before you wake up." Pan looked confused.

"Wh-what…" but before she could finish her sentence, Mirai Gohan struck her firmly on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. He cradled her lovingly in his arms and stood up. He stroked her short, shaggy black hair from her tanned cheeks and kissed her once more on the lips before offering her to Goku.

"Here, hol-" Mirai Gohan stopped, noticing the small bruise that was forming on the man's face. He turned to Trunks, "Here, hold her. I'll be back; I'm going to get Bulma." Trunks nodded and took the little girl. Mirai Gohan scaled the side of the time machine and the pod closed. It rose into the air and, after a few seconds of charging, disappeared in a flash of light.

-

"So, this is my daughter, huh?" Chibi Gohan said softly as he gazed at the young girl that slept in his mother's lap. The woman was cooing at the dainty child, playing with her hair, and brushing her fingers against her cheek.

"Yep, that's Pan," Trunks replied. "She's not normally a crier, so it must have been pretty traumatic for her to come here like that…" Trunks closed his eyes, trying not to think of what might have happened to his mother.

"Why is she so afraid of Majunior leaving?" Chibi Gohan asked. Trunks opened his eyes again and gazed at the little girl.

"In her mind, every time he leaves, something bad happens. This time, he left, and Mo- uh, Bulma got hurt. Last time he left, he was beaten so badly he couldn't even return home. I had to find him. When she was three," Trunks leaned forward and pulled Pan's right black spandex legging up.

Bulma's hands flew up to her mouth. Chichi's eyes watered. Yamucha's and Krillen's mouths dropped. Even Tien and Piccolo looked shocked.

There, in place of her leg, was a robotic limb.

-

TBC…

Whoo! Now, how was that for a second chapter? I know it wasn't nearly as long as the first chapter, but I feel we got a lot covered here.

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button and type away.

-don darko.


	3. Ready To Play

Impasse

By Don Darko

Author's note: Thank you to all of you who reviewed! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. In this chapter, there will be a nice flashback. The text in _italics_ will be a flashback.

As for the 'kissing on the lips' in the last chapter between Pan and Gohan, it was by no means a romantic kiss. It's more of a "goodbye" peck. Folks 'round these parts use it as a means of greeting or goodbye to someone you love (child, parent, lover, best friend, etc.)

Hope that clears up things a little better : )

By the way, I'm going to start calling Mirai Gohan "Majunior" and Chibi Gohan just plain "Gohan" for now. (For those of you who may not know, "Majunior" is the alias that Piccolo took on at the Tournament during the Buu Saga.)

-

Gohan stared down at the little girl who was resting her head in his lap as he sat on the cushy dark purple couch. It was true that she looked a lot like himself now that he got a good look at her. Her hair was just as dark and silky as his own, but it didn't have that natural Saiyan spike. Her face was rounder, her eyebrows more arched, and her lips fuller. Gohan found himself wondering just who the mother was. Thinking of himself having any kind of relationship with a girl made his face turn a lovely shade of red. He wasn't sure how babies were made, but he knew it took two. He didn't buy any of that "stork" crap his mother fed him.

Just then, Trunks bent down to inspect Pan. He gently pushed down on her chest and stomach, checked her pulse, felt the back of her neck where Majunior knocked her out, and inspected her joints. He saved Pan's false leg last.

"How old is she?" Gohan mumbled. Trunks looked up, snapping out of his concentration for a moment.

"She just turned six two months ago," he said and went back to checking out the limb. He paid special attention to the thigh where the prosthetic leg attached to her human stub. His purple brows knitted together as he ran his finger along the line.

"Do you honestly know what you're doing?" Yamucha snapped. Bulma lifted her hand to shush him.

"Of course he does, Yamucha," Bulma muttered. Trunks laughed without humor.

"Actually, Mo- er, Bulma is the one who built the leg. Gohan is the one who knows the most about medical stuff, after all, he always wanted to be an orthopedist," he smiled up at the young boy supporting Pan's head. "I guess I'm more of an amateur in both sciences, but I know enough to get by."

Chichi sighed theatrically, "I hope he gets back alright. What were you guys calling him?"

"He prefers to be called Majunior to keep confusion to a minimum," Trunks mumbled, too engrossed in his inspection.

"Why Majunior?" Krillen wondered aloud. It was Piccolo who answered.

"Because 'Majunior' is similar to my alias during the last Tournament. He is Gohan, after all," Piccolo glanced over to his young former student. Gohan smiled fondly before looking back down at his future daughter.

"She's pretty dramatic," Bulma said, perching herself on the armrest at Pan's feet. Trunks laughed again, but this time it was real.

"Like I said, she's not a crier, but she sure can let it go when the time comes…" he trailed off and looked at the door. His entire body went cold.

"I need help…" Majunior mumbled exhaustedly. In his arms was a battered, bloody, blue-haired beauty.

-

"She'll be fine," Dr. Briefs said and nodded at his clipboard. "Yes, yes. That was quite an interesting burn on her back. She's lucky to be alive. Thanks to these admirable Senzu beans, she'll be up and at 'em in no time. That's my girl- even if she IS my age…" he smiled enthusiastically.

Bulma sighed and pulled her soiled gloves off, "That was one helluva procedure, too. I thought we'd lost her. Or… er, me. Whatever."

"But in other news, you're free to see her as soon as she's up-" Dr. Briefs was cut off by a purple blur literally flying into the patient's room. Majunior, carefully cradling his daughter, followed at a more human pace. Only Goku, Gohan, and Bulma followed suit.

Trunks was kneeling at Mirai Bulma's bedside. He took her hand in his carefully and watching her face as she slept. Majunior laid his daughter on the bed next to Mirai Bulma's and stood between the two.

"How was it, Gohan?" Trunks asked softly. Majunior's lips drew into a thin line.

"Terrible. CC was basically demolished. I was only able to save a few things, like a capsule case that held God knows what. I couldn't tell if it was android work. Seventeen and Eighteen were nowhere to be found."

Trunks sighed and laid his head on his mother's bedside. A cool hand rested itself on the back of his neck, caressing the knot there. Trunks's head flew back up and met the gorgeous blues of his mother.

His voice was at a loss for sound. His mouth hung open with awkward surprise, but he soon recovered and nearly jumped into Mirai Bulma's bed. The woman laughed a thin, silvery laugh and hugged the young man. "Come on, I almost died once, don't try to suffocate me!"

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Trunks grinned happily and nuzzled her shoulder. Mirai Bulma just patted his back. A mirror grin tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Come on, come on, let me up now," the woman requested. Trunks pulled away and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry… Bulma, but when Pan came here in hysterics like she did, I could only think you were as good as dead."

Majunior clapped his hand on Trunks's shoulder, but the gesture held little reassurance. Mirai Bulma's eyebrows rose in a secret question.

"Mirai," he stressed the name, "you should know better than to doubt her survival skills." Mirai Bulma smiled in understanding. "After all, the old bat has lived this long…" Majunior smirked playfully. Mirai Bulma's mouth dropped open and she glared with equal playfulness.

"Well, excuse me for not being a mutant human-alien hybrid that stays young longer than normal humans."

Laughter sounded in the room and Majunior rubbed the back of his head in the traditional Son way. He glanced over to his daughter, who was still sleeping peacefully.

For the moment, he was happy.

-

Pan woke up soon after the laughter died down. Majunior scooped her off the bed ecstatically and hugged her until she begged for air, but the little was not unhappy with her father's attention.

Now the team was outside in the gardens, enjoying the peaceful reunion and warm sunlight. Mirai Bulma sat with her younger counterpart and her good friend Chichi and Yamucha at the old picnic tables. The men were closer to the pond. Piccolo and Tien were sparring in a supposedly friendly manner (though the looks on their faces depicted otherwise). Majunior, Trunks, Gohan, and Krillen were watching Goku attempt to teach Pan how to fish. The not-so-lucky coy fish were the test subjects.

After another failed attempt at catching one of the bigger coy by the quarter-Saiyan (albeit successful soaking of the innocent bystanders), Bulma cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Goku! Pan! You leave those fish alone before I make you!"

Mirai Bulma and Chichi giggled softly.

"I've forgotten how comical Goku can be," Mirai Bulma sighed and watched on with admiration. Chichi smiled, "Yeah, we've all missed him, especially little Gohan. He's been such a good kid since Goku left, though. I can tell he's really trying."

Yamucha pursed his lips, watching the two Sons play in the water. Water glistened off of Pan's leg.

"Are you sure she should get that thing wet? It won't, you know, electrocute her or something?" Yamucha inquired. Mirai Bulma smiled.

"No problem. I made it specifically to act as a normal leg. It's the same weight as her other leg and made of a special material that won't make her sink, but it won't rust or break either. My masterpiece." The future woman smiled proudly.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Bulma's eyes were shining with admiration. "What else have you made?"

Mirai Bulma hesitated.

"Oh, come on, tell us!" Chichi insisted. Mirai Bulma sighed and looked back over to where Majunior was standing. The scarred man was laughing along with his friends.

"It's Gohan. I made something specifically for him." The trio of humans by Mirai Bulma's sides blinked in confusion.

"I guess you could call it a defibrillator. It is one, of sorts, but it doesn't work for his heart. It works for his brain. It's placed very carefully at the base of his skull and, when called for, it injects lithium into his system."

"Lithium?" Bulma said, "Isn't that some kind of mood controlling drug?"

"Er, I thought it was some kind of battery acid…" Yamucha mumbled.

Mirai Bulma smiled sadly, "After you died, Chichi, Gohan sort of… snapped. He was seventeen years old and he was, as diagnosed… Manic-Depressive. -1-

"I'm sure you know what Bipolar Disorder is. It's where the patient has violent, unpredictable mood swings. The moods can be of 'mania,' where the patient is consumed by uncontrollable rage and excitement. When a Bipolar patient is manic, he or she can get very… scary.

"The moods can also be of 'depression,' where the patient spirals into a fit of sadness. The patient could even get to be suicidal if the depression consumes him or her enough. In Gohan's case, let's just say some of his scars aren't all battle wounds.

"But after you died, Chichi, Gohan disappeared. He didn't visit anymore. He didn't call; he didn't even send a postcard from who knows where… But that's not the worst part. I found him about a yearlater, but not in the way I wanted to…"

"Hey," Majunior mumbled softly as he walked over. He had a solemn look on his face. "What'cha talking about?" He eyed Mirai Bulma suspiciously.

"Gohan, I think you should tell them," Mirai Bulma said softly. Majunior's face paled even more than it already was.

"You mean… about…" Mirai Bulma nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder after he sat down at the woman's feet.

"You told them about my… disorder, right?" Majunior murmured. Mirai Bulma nodded again.

"Well, okay then. So they don't know what I was doing during that year I left you and Mirai by yourselves?"

"No, Gohan, they don't."

"Right, well…" Majunior sucked in a long breath and listened to his daughter's laughter in the distance. He closed his eyes.

"I became a serial killer."

-

_The rain was soaking his dark hair as he stumbled down the empty streets of the unknown town. He'd been flying for hours, but when it started raining, he had decided to find a place to sleep._

_He didn't care if he was wet._

_He didn't care that people were staring._

_He just didn't care._

_He wrapped his arms around his shivering frame and bowed his head. His hair was still the shiny golden texture of his Super Saiyan form. His eyes were still a brilliant teal. The beautiful golden innocence that his body portrayed conflicted with the sadness his mind was emanating. He was a walking mood killer._

_He wandered down an alley between two apartments, hoping to find an open window to climb through. He had no such luck. He turned around, but when he did, he came face-to-face with someone's chest._

_The man in front of him was much taller than Gohan himself. The man's face was flushed with heat as he glared down at the teenage hybrid._

"_Gimme your money," the man ordered. When Gohan didn't respond, he snatched the shoulders of his jacket and threw him against the wall._

"_I SAID gimme your money!" The man was shouting now, but his threats and curses fell on deaf ears. Gohan's head slumped again and he began to shiver. The big man growled and pulled his arm back, aimed, and threw a quick punch._

_But it never contacted with Gohan's face._

_Instead, the man's fist was being held in the hybrid's vice-like grip. Gohan's breathing was heavy. His head lifted slowly and his teal eyes landed upon the man's face._

_Gohan's eyes were wild and angry._

"_H-hey, come on, blondie… I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. Just… take a chillaxitive or something, man, no biggie. I wasn't really gonna take your mone- augh!" The man's pleas were cut short by a swift punch, courtesy of Gohan. He gripped the man's head with his other hand and slammed it against the concrete, making blood squirt in all directions and a blood-curdling scream fill the alleyway. _

_A sick, demented grin crossed his features._

-

"…I killed a lot more people that night. I didn't know what came over me, but screaming and crying and feeling the blood drip from my fingertips became an obsession for me. Years of pent-up frustration, fear, stress, and trauma overtook my conscience…" Majunior's voice was next to silent.

"During those few moments between episodes, I would realize how crazy I really was. I would watch newscasts about my latest murder sprees and see not myself, but a very demented child wearing my face. Whenever I had an episode, though, I always transformed into a Super Saiyan. Feeling that heat and anger caused by the transformation gave me a seemingly never-ending tap into adrenaline.

"Civilians began to call me "The Gold Fighter." I worked my way up to the Most Wanted list, right next to the androids," Majunior bowed his head, afraid to meet the gazes of his family and friends. The cool hand of Mirai Bulma assured him that he could continue.

"What stopped me was the day I hid away on a cruise boat where some high school seniors were taking their Senior Trip. I'd planned on blowing the ship up and killing all of its passengers. I'd transformed into my Super Saiyan form and hid on top of one of the cabins. All of the seniors were within my deadly hand… all it would take would be one ki blast and they'd all go up in smoke, but…

"While the seniors were dancing I noticed something… a little girl was onboard among all those teenagers. She couldn't have been more than two or three years old. I remembered her as being the captain's daughter or something. When I watched that little girl stand on her father's feet, all the rage and excitement that had built up inside my body disappeared.

"She was so sweet and innocent. Her laughter was musical. Her face was angelic. It made me crave my own father and miss him more than I ever had. I selfishly thought of my lost childhood. I missed my dad. I missed my mom. I missed my grandpa. I missed Bulma and Mirai.

"Then I remembered Mirai. He was just a little guy back then; eight, I think. I missed him the most. Then, when I looked back down at the passengers from my place on top of the cabins, I saw Mirai in every one of them.

"…But, apparently I wasn't the only one who had plans to kill those kids. One of the seniors, one who I'd watched get picked on and bullied throughout the entire cruise, came onto the deck. He held some kind of machine gun.

"He killed every one of those kids. He even killed the little girl. After they were all dead, he pulled out a shot gun and killed himself. I jumped off the cabin roof and stood amongst the dead bodies. The little girl was lying at my feet, her big blue eyes frozen with fear. Her dead eyes stared back at mine. For the first time in a year, I was afraid. She was too young. She was too innocent. Why did she have to die when she didn't even get a chance to live?"

Majunior's small audience was silent. Mirai Bulma bowed her head and continued for the hybrid, "That's when he came to me. He appeared at my doorstep at three in the morning, holding that little girl. He was hysterical. He told me everything. How he was a murderer, how sick he was, and what he had planned to do that night. He begged me for help, but he wouldn't put the girl down. He clung to her like his lifeline.

"I gave him a shot of lithium to calm him down. He buried the little girl in the garden, and then let me to surgery on him to plant the defibrillator." Her hand glided over to Majunior's head and fingered the small lump at the base of his skull.

Chichi's eyes were watering. "Oh, Gohan…" she whimpered and hugged the time traveler. He stiffened, but gave an awkward pat on his mother's back.

"Let's move to another topic," Bulma offered. "If you don't mind, I'm still curious. What happened after that?"

Majunior sighed and tilted his head up, staring at the cloudless blue.

"I went to high school after that. Bulma insisted that it would be a good opportunity for me to meet others my age, and boy, did I…"

-

_The bell tolled, signaling the start of class. Gohan eagerly scaled the stairs to the second floor of Orange Star High. This 'school' thing was by far the last thing he expected Bulma to throw at him. It wasn't safe for him to be around people. He was unstable._

'_Well,' he thought, fingering the newly implanted mood-controlling device Bulma forced into his neck, 'I guess as long as this thing is working, it can't get too bad. I haven't had an episode for a month now.'_

_He paced himself to his first class, Spanish II. 'Room 203, this must be it.'_

_He opened the door, noticing the immediate silence of the students as he entered. The teacher halted her lecture and turned to shout at the rude person who interrupted her class, but her face softened when her eyes met Gohan's._

"_Oh, this is our new student!" She said. She had an amazing American accent for a Spanish teacher, but Gohan guessed that was prejudice. Spanish teachers don't have to be Spanish or have a Spanish accent._

"_Go-han Son. Yes!" She smiled enthusiastically. The students giggled and hissed under their breaths. Comments such as, "What kind of name is Gohan?" and, "He looks like a freak," sounded across the room._

"_Cierre la boca!" The teacher snapped. The students quieted down quickly, save for a few sniggers._

"_Welcome to OSH, Gohan! Take a seat anywhere. We were just going over items in the bedroom. Since you're in this class, I assume you've taken Spanish I before?"_

"_Uh, yes, ma'am. I have," he lied. He knew the Spanish language- and several other languages- frontwards and backwards._

_He took his assigned seat next to a bubbly blonde girl who introduced herself as Erasa Paper, "With an 'E!'" She'd emphasized._

_The girl next to her was introduced by Erasa as well, "This is Videl Satan! She's the daughter of The One And Only!" Gohan blinked in confusion._

"_Uh, who?" He asked stupidly. A boy from the row in front of him, who had obviously been eavesdropping, turned and gaped at him along with Erasa._

"_You seriously don't know?" The boy asked. Erasa recovered, "Hercule! You know, the World Martial Arts CHAMPION!"_

_Gohan cocked an eyebrow, "Oh, I didn't know."_

"_What! What kind of sheltered life do you live?!" A blonde haired boy shouted from the other side of Videl. Said girl just rolled her eyes._

"_Oh shut up, Sharpner. I'm actually GLAD that there's finally a guy who doesn't know me for my dad." A ghost of a smile graced her lips, but it was gone as soon as it appeared._

"_Anyway, Videl is the savior of our city! She gets called on by the chief of police himself to help take out the baddies! Hee, she's a SUPER HEROINE!" Erasa exclaimed._

"_AHEM. Miss Erasa, perhaps you'd like to tell us what you call the bed?" The teacher challenged, angered by Erasa's distracting outburst._

"_Um… uh… um…" Erasa stuttered._

"_La cama…" Gohan whispered._

"_LA CAMA!" Erasa repeated quickly. The teacher eyed Erasa carefully before turning back to the dry erase board._

"_Whew… thanks, Gohan! You're a lifesaver!" Erasa giggled. "Maybe if you hooked up with Viddy here, you two could make one awesome kid! Smart AND strong!" Videl's eye twitched and she turned away from her ditzy friend. Sharpner looked bewildered._

"_What, Erasa?! Videl is MY girl!" He sputtered. This earned him a sharp elbow to the guy, courtesy of the raven haired girl._

-

"Videl was something else. She was incredible. She wasn't girly or ditzy like the other girls. She kept her distance from everyone and turned her back on any guy who asked her out. I thought she was a lesbian at first," Majunior laughed softly. He looked over his shoulder to the group that was now relaxing on the bank beside the pond. Pan was sitting in Goku's lap, laughing at Krillen's stupid jokes. Majunior smiled. He noticed Trunks was no where to be found. Frantically, he looked around, but nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a cold blow of air on the back of his neck.

Trunks laughed and plopped down on the soft grass next to Majunior. This just made Majunior's smile wider.

"Of course, the more I thought about her, the more I felt myself becoming attached. I never thought I could ever like anyone like that, especially considering I was clinically insane. She claimed she recognized me, but she didn't know from where. I could only hope it wasn't from the news reports about my own personal dark ages.

"Eventually, knowing that she was fighting armed criminals without much help from the Orange Star Police, I worried about her. I got Bulma to make me a costume-"

"That thing was comical," Trunks joked.

"Shut up before I curb stomp your ass," -2- Majunior grinned, then continued, "I would change into it to hide my identity from her and everyone else. I would fight crime alongside her, but she wasn't very pleased with it. Apparently, she hated it when people helped her. She was always so independent, she refused help from anyone. She refused to give up. But, as sick as it may sound, the only way for me to get even remotely close to her was when I was dressed up in a superhero costume and cracking someone's skull open.

"But, just the occasional bad guy wasn't enough time with her for me, so I started to approach her in school. I'd been way too much of a chicken to make any moves on her, so I didn't bother to try anything other than just talking. Soon enough, she started talking to me about her problems, her thoughts, her opinions. Then, before I knew it, she was seeking me out for my company.

"I'd fallen in love with her, but I couldn't tell her about my secrets.

"After we graduated from high school, we went to separate colleges. I kept in touch with everyone, even Sharpner. As stupid as he made me believe the first time I met him, he was actually very intelligent. He was subject to peer pressure and he felt that if he let anyone know who he really was, he'd lose all the popularity he'd gained over the years.

"He even lied about his grades. The man had straight A's, almost as great as mine, but he couldn't let his peers and his so-called friends know that he actually had a brain. But one thing he did not hide was the fact that he was madly in love with Videl.

"Videl went into the military for two years and skyrocketed her way up to the top. Sharpner went to Law school and made his way up in the rankings as well. I went to medical school to be an orthopedist.

"When I turned nineteen, I got a call from Videl. She said she wanted to meet me that afternoon and talk to me. I met her at the Starbucks Café in Orange Star. She looked amazing. She'd cut her hair short, I thought it made her look very cute.

"We talked to catch up, but she seemed a little off the whole time…"

-

_Gohan and Videl sat in a tense silence. Gohan eyed her from behind his coffee mug and shoved another miniature Danish cake into his mouth. Videl offered a nervous laugh, "Another one, Gohan? I've never seen anyone eat like you do."_

_Gohan smiled, "This is my fourty-sixth one!"_

"_Oh yeah? I lost count at thirty-one."_

_The two friends exchanged soft laughs, but it was forced to a halt when Videl's trembling hand dropped her mug, making it spill on the little table._

"_Oh, I'm so clumsy!" She said frantically and wiped the mess up with a fistful of napkins. Gohan placed his hand over Videl's. She froze in mid-wipe and looked up slowly, meeting her friend's stern gaze._

"_Videl… what's got you so tense? What's going on?" He whispered. Videl broke down in tears. Gohan took her hand and led her out of the Starbucks._

_-_

_When they arrived at Gohan's on-campus apartment, he sat her down on the couch. She was still in hysterics. He hugged her closely and rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair and soothing her with comforting sounds._

"_Gohan… It's Sharpner… he said he was going to become 'King of the World' or whatever, and he said he was going to make me be his wife. I-I thought he was kidding at first, but now he has followers… and he has power. He's supposed to start his position as 'The King of the World' next month, and he is making me marry him tomorrow." A new flood of tears washed over her and she buried her face in her hands._

_Gohan felt his blood run cold. It was public knowledge that Sharpner Pencil, his best male friend, was making himself a prodigy by claiming his title as the 'King of the World' and promising amazing changes, including safety from the ever-present fear of the androids._

_But forcing his high school crush to marry him?_

_But forcing Gohan's high school crush to marry him?_

_Videl looked up from her palms and gazed into Gohan's shocked chocolate orbs._

"_But… I don't love him. I love someone else…" Her shoulders trembled as she closed the distance between her and Gohan. Their lips brushed, then locked completely in a tender kiss._

"_I love you, Gohan…"_

"……_I love you too, Videl."_

_They met with another kiss, but this time more passionate and heated. Gohan pulled her into his lap and held her as he kissed her neck and her shoulder. He pulled her shirt up carefully and tenderly fingered the tanned skin there. After a short pros-and-cons debate with himself and a reassuring kiss on the neck from Videl, he scooped her up and carried her bridal style to the bedroom. Once past the doorframe, he kicked the door shut and locked it._

-

Most of Majunior's audience was red in the face from the thoughts about the events that probably followed. Majunior's head was down again, staring at his lap.

"When I woke up the next morning, she wasn't there. The only thing left behind was her scent. I followed it into the living room and turned on the TV where a live broadcast of the legendary Videl Satan's and the new King of the World's wedding was being held. I knew Sharpner loved Videl, and I knew he knew I loved her too. What I didn't know is that he'd go through all this trouble just to take her from me.

"I sort of ghosted through the rest of that year. The only two events I remember from those months is when an ecstatic news reporter informed everyone that Videl Pencil, wife of the King of the World, was two months pregnant.

"The other event was when Sharpner's lawyer called me about a week after the marriage that a restraining order was put on me to keep me at least three miles from Videl and her unborn baby. I didn't think my heart could break anymore, but I do think that Sharpner just stomped the pieces into the dirt.

"But six months later was the day that would change everyone's worlds, especially Videl's, upside-down…"

-

_Gohan entered the Starbucks Café. It was part of his routine now: Go to class. Do homework. At six o'clock, go to the same Starbucks in Orange Star and drink a mug of coffee. It was a sad, slightly obsessive routine, but it was the only thing that gave the hybrid comfort. _

"_You know, guy, that caffeine ain't good for ya…" the manager mumbled as he counted the money in the register. The café was empty save for himself and the hybrid, so there was really nothing else to do._

"_Yeah, tell someone who cares…" Gohan muttered and stole his mug away to the table where he and his love met that day months ago…_

_Then, someone wrapped their arms around his neck and pressed their bloated body against his arm. "Gohan…" the soft voice mumbled._

_Gohan turned his head slowly. His eyes met clear crystal blues. His eyes scanned her body- tan skin, short black hair, big blue eyes, beautifully sculpted face, enlarged stomach…_

"_V-Videl…" He answered in almost a whisper. The very pregnant woman threw herself in his arms and sobbed on his shoulder._

"_Oh, Gohan! It's so good to see you! I've missed you so much!" She smiled happily and waddled into the seat next to him. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek._

"_I've missed you too, Videl! God…" He let his eyes freely roam her body, but they locked onto her blues. "God how I've missed you…"_

_They leaned in closer to each other. Their faces were mere inches apart. Suddenly, the glass in the window shattered and a delayed boom was heard in the distance. Videl clenched her eyes shut and instinctively placed a hand over her swollen belly._

_Gohan jumped up from his seat, pulling the pregnant woman along with him. Frightened faces blurred past him. Screams echoed throughout the streets. Explosions were heard in random places. Jumping out of the window, Gohan managed to stop a man._

"_Hey! What's going on?!" Gohan shouted over the noise. The man's wide, frantic eyes said it all._

_The androids._

_Gohan turned to his lover and held her hand, "Come on, Videl. We have to get out of here." She didn't complain. With one hand on her stomach and her other hand safely in her true love's, she would follow him anywhere. That is, if she could run as fast._

_In no time, Gohan and Videl were bringing up the rear of the pack of humans that the androids were finding pleasure in herding. In less than a second, #17 was floating excitedly in front of the lovers._

"_Oh, well, well, look who it is, Eighteen!" Seventeen sang. Eighteen appeared in front of her brother. _

"_Well would you look at that. Isn't that Gohan? He's all grown up. And look, he has a girlfriend!" Eighteen's robotic eyes sparkled with fascination. Videl glared at the woman then glanced up at Gohan._

"_Gohan, how do they know who you are?" She asked. The androids laughed._

"_Oh, we know everything about Gohan here. He's the son of Goku Son, Piccolo Daimou's student, and The Gold Fighter..."_

_Videl shook her head in bewilderment. She looked back up at her lover, who gave her a pleading look. Her confidence returned._

"_That's impossible! He has black hair, not blonde! And he's not sick and twisted like that bastard Gold Fighter is!" Videl's words stung, but Gohan couldn't help but silently agree. He was sick. He was twisted. He was a bastard._

"_Oh, we can prove that he is indeed the 'sick, twisted, bastard Gold Fighter,'" Seventeen grinned and before she could blink, snatched her away from Gohan's grasp. He held her in a headlock, teen feet off the ground. She couldn't even scream. Eighteen appeared in front of her and gave her some "light" punches to the face, but they bruised and bloodied and broke the young woman. _

"_Oh Gooohaaan If you want your girlfriend back, you'll have to come up here and get her!" Seventeen challenged before breaking into a fit of maniacal laughter. Eighteen glared at her brother. _

"_Oh, please, Seventeen, it's not that funny…" But the android's deadpan expression soon turned into excitement when Gohan appeared behind Seventeen and elbowed him in the back of the head. He dropped Videl, who was caught by Gohan before she hit the ground. He carefully put Videl on the ground and she carefully got into a fighting stance._

"_Videl, no, you're in no condition to fight. You're eight months pregnant," Gohan whispered. She ignored him. Eighteen appeared in front of her and, before Videl could react, side-swiped her into the street. Videl twisted her body so she would land on her back. She painfully propped herself up on her elbows and looked up into the artificially beautiful faces of the murderers._

_The diabolic duo smirked and simultaneously lifted their arms, palms pointed straight for her. Videl tried to get up, but the pain was overwhelming. She closed her eyes and awaited the release of death._

_But death didn't come._

_A bright light flashed before her closed eyes. Curiosity getting the best of her, she dared to open her eyes. There she saw the most blinding, angelic light. She put an arm in front of her to shield her eyes, but the light died down to reveal a golden hero._

_No, a golden serial killer._

_The Gold Fighter was standing right in front of her._

_With a swift movement of his hands, he blasted the two androids enough to stun them for the moment. Then he whirled around, scooped Videl up in his arms, and took off into the sky._

_Videl screamed and kicked and punched and struggled against her captor. _

"_No! No! Put me down, you bastard! Get away from me! Take me back to Gohan!" Her voice cracked with the panic and volume of her screaming. She clutched his shoulders and glared up at his face._

_A face she knew so well._

_A face she loved and adored._

_A face that belonged to her Gohan._

"_G-Gohan," Videl's eyes filled with tears, "you ARE The Gold Fighter…" She shook her head frantically and pushed against him with all her might. She squirmed harder, feeling his grip loosen on her._

"_No, Videl, stop, please…" _

"_No!" Videl gained enough room to plant her left hook in Gohan's face, and he let go out of shock. Then she felt herself falling. Falling. She watched the face of her true love become farther and farther away. He began to go after her, but a black blur knocked him out of her line of vision. Then, darkness consumed her vision, and her world ended with a sickening splat._

-

"…Seventeen had held me there and forced me to watch her die," Majunior said, his voice straining and his eyes filling with tears. His voice finally cracked, "Eighteen made him stop playing around and they left me, but by then it was too late. The love of my life… was dead.

"I touched down to the earth and just stared at her corpse. I guess I was happy that she hadn't completely splattered on the pavement… I kneeled down beside her and scraped her upper half off the road and held her there. I let it all out, all the bottled in emotion I'd had since the end of my murder sprees. That's when… I felt her stomach move.

"I remembered the baby. If her stomach was moving, that meant the baby had to still be alive. I felt my heart race as I sliced open her stomach and felt around in her body. Not three seconds after I started my search, my search found me. A tiny hand grabbed my finger, and I gently pulled her out… my little Panny.

"She began screaming her lungs out as soon as I pulled her out. I chopped off her umbilical cord and tried to hold her. I wiped all of the gunk off of her face and out of her mouth and cradled her. She was the most beautiful thing I ever pulled out of a splattered body. She had silky tufts of black hair on her head already and the cutest little nose and hands and feet.

"I tried to calm her down by shushing her, and it worked. I rocked her back and forth and nuzzled her. She stopped crying almost immediately and looked up at me with those big brown eyes. Somehow, I knew she was my child, not Sharpner's. Mine.

"An ambulance and police cars came soon after that. Sharpner was in one of them. They recognized me as The Gold Fighter and the policemen wouldn't come near me. They couldn't shoot at me because I was holding 'the King of the World's' daughter. Then, Sharpner seemed to grow some balls since he became a king, because he walked right up to me and patted my shoulder. He then gently took Panny away from me, thanked me, and walked away.

"It was a month after that event that Sharpner actually called me to tell me that he'd lifted the restraining order. He begged me to come over…"

-

_Gohan walked up to the mansion's doorstep and nervously looked at the paper in his hand again. Yep, 406 Crestline Court. This was Sharpner's… "house." He rang the doorbell, sounding the elegant chime. A maid opened the door hastily, but then covered her ears and doubled over in pain. An explosion of loud screaming forced Gohan to double over and cover his ears as well._

"_Come in, please… H-His Majesty needs to see you…" The maid murmured before scurrying off into another room, probably to escape the crying. Gohan stepped in, lost as to where to go. Then a familiar voice called his name from the top of the nearby staircase._

"_Gohan! Come up here!" Sharpner shouted over the crying (but it only made the crying increase in volume). Gohan hurried up the stairs, his ears vibrating from the piercing sound. He followed the royal man into a pink-painted room where the crying was the loudest._

"_Gohan, please… she's been crying since I took her from The Gold Fighter. Please, do something to make her stop!" Gohan tilted his head and walked over to the crib where the mini royalty was pitching a fit. Gently but swiftly, Gohan scooped the girl up and rocked her back and forth, shushing her and nuzzling her just as he had over Videl's dead body._

_Immediately, the screaming stopped into soft hiccoughs. The silky raven haired, chocolate-eyed baby stared up at the hybrid. Her fat, pink lips poked out in a pout and her cheeks were pudgy from excessive crying._

"_What the…? I try that all the time and it never works for me!" Sharpner snapped. Gohan completely ignored his statement._

"_What's her name?" He asked softly, never breaking eye contact with the infant. Sharpner seemed surprised by his old high school buddy's sudden question._

"_Why… her name is Pan. Videl said she always wanted a daughter named that, so in her honor, she is Pan Videl Pencil."_

_Gohan smiled. He remembered, back in the good old days, when he was skipping class with Videl. They were sitting underneath a tree and discussing their lives. She'd asked him what he would name his daughter, and he'd replied with the name, "Pan."_

_Gohan smiled down at the little girl, making her smile and giggle cutely in return. He felt his heart pang when he thought that he'd have to leave this little beauty. He looked up to the face of his old high school best friend. _

"_Sharpner… I need to tell you something… I think Pan is my daughter, not yours."_

-

Majunior opened his eyes and lifted his head to the sky and smiled, "Of course, he threw me out, but as soon as I told the story to Bulma, I got Panny legitimated, a blood test done, and we went to court. My case won, and I got custody of Pan. -3-"

Chichi was bawling by this point, "Ohhh it's the perfect love story!" She sobbed. Yamucha raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you didn't kidnap her? You're insane. Why would they let you have custody instead of the King of the World?"

Majunior smiled, "As long as I have Bulma's device lodged into my brain, I am not insane." Then he brought a practiced, Vegeta-like smirk, "Unless, of course, you want me to turn it OFF. Then I could definitely be the most insane person you've ever met," the evil expression disappeared, "Other than Freeza, of course."

The small group exchanged a bout of laughter until it was interrupted by a certain quarter-Saiyan, who was busy having a splash fight with her grandfather and Krillen, "Daddy! Mirai! Come play! Pleeeeease!"

Majunior twisted around to see his little six-year-old. He grinned, then hopped up and turned to Trunks.

"Race ya," he challenged. Trunks hopped to his feet.

"You're on." Bulma counted down from three, and as soon as the last number was out of her mouth, the two hybrids raced the beeline toward the pond and jumped in, splashing everyone within a ten-foot radius. Majunior's former audience watched as the man scooped his daughter up in his arms and twirled her in the air, making her squeal with delight.

Yes, he was not insane.

-

TBC…

-1- I did some hardcore research on this disorder. I just hope I got it all right. Come on, considering what Gohan's gone through, he has to have had a few bolts loose up there.

-2- "Shut up before I curb stomp your ass" is one of my favorite threats. A curb stomp is when you put someone's head face-down on a curb and stomp on the back of their head. The worst possible outcome is killing them : )

-3- To be completely honest, I'm not sure if that is the right term. I'm not much of a law student, but one of my classmates (who was pregnant) told me that her baby's daddy was going to try to legitimize her baby. Please correct me of I'm wrong.

Oh my God. rubs my wrists That chapter took forever! Four hours of nonstop writing, twenty one pages of information… I hope you guys enjoyed it! It's almost as long as the first chapter. And yes, I know most of this is just story and flashback, but it was necessary to clear up some things and delve farther into Majunior's past.

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button and type away.

-don darko.


	4. I Can't See Them Anyway

Impasse

By Don Darko

Author's note: Thank you everyone who reviewed! And I know Majunior was a little calm in the last chapter, but lithium does do a number on the moodiness. The mood-controlling device Bulma made for him does NOT make him "cured" of his insanity. It simply suppresses it. Just thought I'd tell you ;D

Here's something you may like to know (just for fun?):

Majunior is 26. Trunks is 16. Pan is 6. Mirai Bulma is 53. Gohan is 8. Goku is 24.

-

"Come on, Pan, give me your arm…"

"No! You're gonna put that stuff on it and it's gonna burn!"

"Don't make me force it on you. It's just alcohol, Panny; it'll make your cut feel better."

"No no no!"

"Okay, then. Here, you can either take the alcohol and the pretty band-aid, or your arm will get infected and I'll have to cut it off."

"…"

Silence.

"OOOOWWWW."

Goku winced. Even though Pan and her father were in the bathroom across from them, he could still hear every word. He rubbed his own arm. He felt her pain.

"Does Majunior always give Pan choices like those?" Krillen mumbled under his breath.

"Only when he wants her choice to be in his favor," Mirai Bulma smiled.

"That's terrible…"

"Well Pan's a difficult child. She can be stubborn when she really wants to be. You'd have to be a parent to really understand it."

Krillen sighed and leaned back, looking at the remaining Z fighters. There was still Majunior, Mirai, and the future Bulma, of course. Present Bulma still remained, but Yamucha had disappeared. Vegeta stalked off some time ago, and Tien and Chaotzu took off not long after Tien lost his fight against the Namek. That left himself, Piccolo, and the two Son boys. Chichi left (albeit not without some coaxing and promising that Gohan would work on his studies twice as hard when he got home).

He looked at Gohan for a long moment. It was hard to believe that such an innocent little boy grew up to be the man who travelled through time just to save the Earth. He was his father's child. Krillen smiled.

A happy Pan skipped out of the bathroom, showing off her new Eeyore band-aid. Majunior followed, looking slightly worn. He winced as he rubbed his ear and cursed softly under his breath. With a soft thud, he sat on the floor next to the other two half-Saiyans, who were entranced in a cartoon show on TV. Majunior watched distastefully. He's seen it before.

Something moved next to him. Gohan noticed, too, and pushed himself closer to Trunks, who was far too entranced in the old cartoon to notice. Pan squeezed herself between her two fathers. She stretched her legs out in front of her and smiled, not seeming to notice the two dark haired Sons glance at her, then look at each other.

"A little pushy, isn't she?" Gohan asked his older counterpart, who nodded, "Just like her mother."

Gohan smiled playfully, "Okay, note to self, watch out for pushy women." Majunior chuckled.

"Good luck."

Trunks gasped suddenly and grinned. He turned his blues over to Majunior, who met his gaze.

"…What?"

"Gohan, let's go to the fair! It's not too late, the place closes at eleven, and there are no androids to meet us there!" Trunks exclaimed. Majunior's lips drew into a thin line. Trunks noticed, and pulled out his trump card: Pan.

"You know, Pan should get to experience it before we go into two years of heavy-duty training and the androids come out. This could be her last chance to be a real kid." Majunior's eyes widened and he looked down at his little daughter, who's big, shiny brown eyes just added to the emphasis (much to Trunks's delight).

"You know, that'd be a good idea. Something calm before the storm," Bulma encouraged. Trunks was nearly shivering with excitement.

"Yeah, I'd like that. We could all go, it would be really fun." Krillen grinned, finding Trunks's childlike excitement amusing.

"Pleeeeease, Daddy? I'm not scared 'cause the androids won't be there, and you shouldn't be scared either," Pan clasped her hands together and gazed up at her father. Majunior gave a small squeak as a refusal, but caved with a big sigh.

"Alright, let's go."

-

"Yay, I love the fair!" Pan exclaimed as Gohan helped her into the plane. He laughed.

"I thought you've never been to the fair before?" Gohan climbed in first, then turned around and held Pan's little tan hand to pull her in.

"I did a couple of years ago, but I can't remember it very well. I was too little," she looked up into the dual pair of chocolates that belonged to the boy in front of her. She whispered, "It's why Daddy's afraid of taking me to fairs."

Gohan blinked. Him? Afraid of fairs? "Why is that?" He led the small girl to the leather seats on the far side of the plane. He let Pan have the window seat.

Pan wracked her brain for the memories, "It was when my accident happened…" She touched the metal underneath the black spandex legging, "The androids blew up the Ferris wheel. I felt myself flying, but I couldn't see anything. Then Daddy stopped me from flying, and I could hear him screaming. I can't remember what he was saying, though. I think I fell to sleep. In my dream I remember standing on a mountain with a pretty lady. She was holding my hand and singing or something- she sounded like she was telling me she loved me- but then she pushed me off the mountain… and I woke up. When I opened my eyes, Daddy was next to me, crying and saying he was sorry."

Gohan was silent. He placed his own pale hand over Pan's tan one. The metal under his fingertips was cold and hard.

"Will you protect me, Gohan?" Pan asked as she stared at his hand over hers. It was so warm and soft. It didn't dwarf her hand like her father's or Trunks's did. Gohan looked down at her and smiled. He laid his head on top of his future daughter's.

"Of course."

An explosion ruined the moment.

"DAMMIT VEGETA!" Bulma screamed from outside the plane. Gohan blinked. He hopped off his seat and poked his head outside the open door.

"Fix the GR, woman! I need to train!" Vegeta growled, approaching the blue haired bombshell. Said woman growled in return.

"My name is Bulma, for the last time! And I am NOT your slave! Besides, if you want that thing fixed, you're going to have to wait! I'm going somewhere, and I'm not stopping just for you!" She turned on her heel and returned to the small group.

"What?! Where are you going?! I'm going too, hell if I'm staying here in this _dump_ with your father and that imbecile baseball player!" He followed her angrily.

"Fine! Just don't blow anything up, you klutz!" Bulma greeted Vegeta's glare with a hot one of her own. Mirai Bulma turned her head and looked up at Trunks, who smiled gently. She put up a weak smile. Trunks leaned down to her height and whispered in her ear, "I don't see how you did it." The older woman just laughed her silvery laugh.

-

_A little boy filled his bowl with his favorite cereal. He nabbed a spoon from the drawer and pushed it shut with his back. He never really liked his cereal wet, so the idea of adding milk to his bowl was out the window. He cradled his breakfast with one hand and pushed open the door with the other, leading into the dim living room. The only source of light was from the old television with a broken cable. He young boy stopped._

_This didn't look like his home._

_The old tin walls, the creaky, rusted floor, the insect-infested cushion in front of the ancient television…_

_This wasn't Capsule Corp._

_But, wasn't he just in his own kitchen? He looked behind him. The door was gone. He looked down at his bowl. The beautifully sculpted dish was still sitting in his hand, loyally holding the food the boy was once going to consume._

_He walked the short walk over to the television and plopped down on the cushion. Dust exploded from the seat and insects escaped, albeit angry. The boy moved his eyes toward the blinking television. His appetite dissipated._

_On the black-and-white screen stood his "big brother" who ran away from home a few months ago. The teenager's hair stood on end, literally. Its platinum blonde color glinted and sparkled off the ironically innocent sunlight. A small smile played on his lips as he looked at the frightened TV reporter._

"_Uh... uh, M-Mister Gold Fighter, sir, um… I, I just wanted to know… why, why you've killed, uh… Mister Satan…" The female reporter managed to squeak out. Gohan- no, he refused to address that monster with the same name as his beloved big brother- The Gold Fighter cocked his head toward the camera. He twisted his body slightly to allow the reporter to see in front of him. _

_The reporter let out a spine-chilling scream._

"_The same reason I killed all of the others. The ones who take advantage of others… The liars, the cheaters, the ones that don't appreciate what he has… They're all the scum of the Earth. They're parasites. It's my duty to clean the Earth of people like him, so people like him won't deface her anymore," He smiled again and turned toward the camera._

_In his hand was the bodiless head of the latest World Martial Arts Tournament Champion. Trunks's eyes bugged out of his head. He felt his stomach clench, but nothing was inside to reject. Trunks covered his mouth as a first instinct and dropped his bowl of milkless cereal. The glass shattered and frosted flakes littered the old, rusted floor._

"_I'm making a Jack O'lantern out of him!" The Gold Fighter announced happily. His face went blank for a moment, but the sickening innocence returned, "I bet I could make him a puppet, too! Let's see… if I stick my hand here-" he shoved his hand into the bottom of the man's neck. A sickening squish resounded, as if the TV had a surround sound system. Trunks's shoulders began to tremble and water filled his baby blues._

"_Heheh, look! He _is _a puppet!" The Gold Fighter laughed at his own sick game as he forced the head to talk. "Oh, come on, Mister Gold Fighter, you're tickling me…" The Gold Fighter imitated Hercule's voice, and then erupted in laughter. He pulled the Champ's head off of his hand and the sickening squish resounded again. A long, fat piece of meat fell out with the Fighter's hand and fell with a soft 'splat' on his shoes._

"_Oh, Hercule, I think your tongue just fell out…" He bent down and picked the meat up. The Fighter turned his back to the camera. The cameraman, who was shaking uncontrollably, stumbled around the Fighter to get a better shot at what the teen was doing to their once beloved hero._

_With another sickening squish, the Fighter forced Hercule's head onto a wooden stake, "Don't worry, I'll put it back in for you," he promised lovingly. He shoved the wad of meat back into the dead fighter's open mouth. When it effortlessly fell out again, the Fighter simply laughed._

_The happy, yet sick, joy of the man who was supposed to be Trunks's big brother echoed throughout the room. Young Trunks drew his knees up to his chest and sobbed. He'd never forget that laugh._

-

Trunks's eyes snapped open. Where was he? He sat up and glanced around. Oh, that's right… 'The fair,' he thought. Little Pan was asleep a few seats away with Chibi Gohan playing with her hair and staring out the window. Goku and Krillen were in the seat in front of him, chatting about Goku's trip to Namek. Bulma and Mirai Bulma were adding in details to the story and laughing when called for. Vegeta was glaring out the window, imagining who knows what. Trunks wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

So, it was just a dream. He looked over to the man next to him. His big brother was sleeping soundly, head pressed against the window, lips slightly parted. His eyelids and cheeks twitched slightly as he dreamed. Trunks reached over and touched Majunior's cheek gently. He traced the scar there carefully, not wanting to wake the man.

'I wonder what he dreams about.,' Trunks thought to himself. As he stared at the innocent sleeping face in front of him, he just couldn't imagine the terrible deeds the young father had done in the past. He looked down at Majunior's hands, which were trembling against Trunks's leg.

'I'm not in denial, am I?'

-

"I trust you with Pan," Majunior mumbled into Gohan's ear, "Keep a close eye on her. Don't let her out of your sight." The younger half-Saiyan nodded excitedly. He glanced over to the younger girl and took her hand. She was hopping up and down with bounds of energy. Majunior looked at her sternly.

"Pan, stay close to Gohan. Don't walk off without him. Don't talk to strangers or accept food from them, understand?" Pan nodded quickly and smiled up at her father.

"Don't worry, Daddy! I won't get in trouble," Pan promised. She stopped bouncing and stood side by side with Gohan. Said boy was nearly half a head taller than her and half a body wider, making her look younger than she really was. "Besides, Mirai's taught me how to fight a little, so I'm ready. That and, I can fly, remember? I bet I could outfly anyone who wanted to chase me!"

Majunior stood upright and glared at the purple haired warrior, who was trying his best to hide behind Goku.

"You taught her how to fight?" He said in a warning voice. Trunks grinned apologetically, "Well, yeah, you know… it can prove to be a good thing. She needs to learn self defense, even if the androids don't exist, so, um…" Majunior smiled softly and waved him off.

"Alright, don't get lost, and meet us back here at eleven," Majunior smiled down at the two children, who nodded and took off towards the game booths. He watched until his daughter's frilly green dress was out of sight, then turned to the remaining Z members. Bulma and Mirai Bulma motioned for them to follow to the food stand. Majunior and Goku glanced at each other and grinned, their stomachs growling simultaneously.

-

"My God… I'll never get used to this," Piccolo mumbled under his breath. It wasn't the first time he had to sit at a booth while the garbage disposals known as Saiyans inhaled a month's worth of food. On top of that, dozens of standbyers wouldn't stop staring at him.

Piccolo's eye twitched.

"I hear you, Piccolo…" Krillen agreed as he watched, "My appetite just died." He glanced over to Mirai, who was eating a lot, but not nearly as much as Goku and Vegeta. Krillen cocked an eyebrow and leaned over to Mirai Bulma, whispering, "Hey, that Mirai guy, where did you guys find him? Is he a Saiyan too?" The woman didn't miss a beat.

"It's a secret."

Krillen blinked, "A… secret?" Mirai Bulma nodded.

Bulma leaned around her, "That means you're not supposed to know."

Krillen rolled his eyes, "Come on, Bulma, I know that." He leaned back in his seat and watched the Saiyans- and Mirai- finish their "small lunch" and stretch. Mirai thumped Majunior excitedly.

"Come on, Gohan! Let's go ride some rides."

"Ride rides?! You fight monsters for a living and you want to ride rides?" Vegeta mumbled incredulously. Trunks nodded childishly. He smiled at the Saiyan Prince.

"Come with us, you'll enjoy it," he promised the man who was to be his father. Goku bounced in his seat.

"Yeah, Vegeta! Let's go."

"Yeah, Veggie-head," Bulma laughed when Vegeta shot her another one of his trademark glares. Mirai Bulma turned her head quickly.

"Fine, but I get to decide!"

-

"Uh, wow, Miss… don't you think you're a little bit too small for this game?" The referee blinked as he stared down at Pan, but Pan's eyes did not meet his. She excitedly inspected the obstacle course ahead of her. She nodded excitedly.

"I want to get the stuffed dragon for my… cousin!" She smiled happily up at Gohan. The boy scratched the back of his head.

"Aw, gee, Pan… you don't have to get me anything," he said shyly.

"I want to win it for you," she insisted. Gohan just nodded.

"Heheh, yeah, let the lil' runt race me if she wants. I'd like an easy win," Pan's opponent said arrogantly. Gohan's hands twitched slightly. Man, he hated people like that. He glared up at the meaty macho man.

"She'll beat you. You'll see." The man and his posse erupted in laughter and wiped their tears away.

"Alright. Take your places, er… competitors. One… two… three… go!"

Pan zoomed past the starter line and hopped from one platform to the other. The meaty man was one step behind her, "Too easy!" She bounced off of the small trampoline and grabbed the pole, which fell and tumbled through the maze above her head. When it came to a stop on the platform on the other side, she swung off of the side and scaled the wall to the next obstacle. The meaty man's pole got stuck on one of the edges of the maze, but he jerked his huge body and the pole fell to the adjacent platform.

Pan reached the top of the wall and jumped down to the other side onto the small trampoline. It bounced her to a small alley-like obstacle, where she used her arms and legs to hold herself between the two walls. She climbed, although awkwardly, across the water below her. The meaty man bounced in behind her, but missed his footing and plummeted to the water beneath them. He swam to the small ladder on the platform ahead and heaved himself up, soaking wet.

She jumped onto the platform in front of her and ran towards the slanted wall, where a rope was waiting for her. She ran up the slanted wall and launched herself toward the rope and grabbed it. She swung toward the little lilypad-like platforms and bounced her way toward the finish line.

The meaty man attempted to copy her actions, but his soaked shoes slipped on the smooth wall and he fall face first, then rolled into the water once again. Pan grinned as she ran through the yellow tape and hopped up and down. The spectators cheered in excitement. Gohan ran around the obstacle course's side and met her at the finish line. He scooped her up and spun her around. She laughed and hugged him tightly.

"You did it, Pan! I knew you would!" Gohan laughed with her happily.

"Amazing! You, little girl, are absolutely amazing! You beat Hercule on his own obstacle course in no time flat! What's your name?" The referee excitedly held the microphone up to Pan's mouth.

"Pan Son!" she exclaimed into the microphone.

"Well, Pan Son, you have a selection of prizes here. What will you take?"

Pan scanned the rows of prizes for the dragon she'd seen earlier. Out of all the spectacular prizes that were offered to her, she plucked out an eight inch, black and white striped stuffed toy. The little thing had black bat wings and a big, stitched-in purple nose on its white head. It's ears were pinned back and its smile showed only one fang. Its arms and legs were stitched up with purple thread, contrasting with the white cloth made for it's skin. Its white tail hung limply from its striped back. -1-

She smiled down at the little toy and spun around and handed it to Gohan. He blinked and stared at her, "Really?" She nodded happily.

"It's yours!" The audience cooed at the little girl and dissipated. Gohan hugged the toy before hugging her.

"Thank you, Panny. I love it."

-

"It's ten forty-five," Bulma yawned, "time to go. Guys, find Pan and Gohan so we can go home."

Majunior smiled, "Yeah. It's way past Panny's bedtime," he looked around. He led the group back to the entrance to wait for the two little Saiyans to return.

"Heheh, I still can't believe Goku beat you in that laser gun fight, Vegeta!" Krillen laughed, but was quieted by Vegeta's glare.

"And Piccolo was hypnotized into thinking he was a mime. That was hysterical," Trunks laughed, making Krillen erupt again. Piccolo cracked a ghost of a smile, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

"I'm glad we came," Bulma said happily, "it was a nice calm."

It was a few minutes past eleven when the group arrived at the entrance. Gohan and Pan were already there, looking through the toys they'd won. Gohan glanced over his shoulder and waved at them.

"Hey, guys, look what Pan did!" Pan looked up from the small mountain of stuffed animals.

"I won these for you all! Here," Pan picked up a few toys at a time and handed them to the slightly shocked Z members.

"That's my little competitor," Majunior laughed lightly as his daughter handed him a baby penguin plush. He laughed harder when she gave Vegeta a small pink rabbit plush.

"I don't want this trash, you little brat!" Vegeta snapped. Pan glared at him, one to rival his own.

"Then give it back!" She held out her hand impatiently. Vegeta hesitated, but turned away instead.

"Runt… you don't take back gifts, no matter how much the receiver hates it."

Pan smiled and continued handing out her gifts, earning polite thank-yous, "I got some for Gramma, Grampa, Great-Grampa, Grampa Briefs, Gramma Briefs, Mister Yamucha, Mister Tien, and Mister Chaotzu too." The little girl smiled as her father took her bag of loot and slung it over his shoulder.

"Okay, sweetie. I have something for you, too, you know," Majunior said and handed the bag to Trunks. He scooped his daughter up into one arm and reached into his yellow messenger bag. He pulled out a stuffed brown bear. Pan's eyes sparkled.

"Oooh! Thank you, Daddy!" She took the bear and kissed her father's cheek. "He's so cute! I'll name him… Dexter." Majunior laughed and hugged his daughter.

The Z team said their goodbyes to each other quietly in the parking lot. Mirai Bulma capsulated Pan's loot and gave it to Majunior to keep until the rest of the gifts could be handed out. Gohan hugged a sleepy Pan goodnight and smiled at her.

"Train hard," she mumbled. Gohan nodded, "I promised you I'd protect you. I'm going to get strong enough to keep that promise, no matter what."

"See you all in two years," Majunior promised and picked his sleepy daughter up. The little girl immediately curled into her father's arms and fell to Slumberland. Trunks helped Mirai Bulma climb onto his back and floated a few feet above the ground. Majunior took one last look at the friends and family who, in just a few years, would die, if it had not been for himself and what remained of his closest friends and family.

He floated into the air and followed Trunks, albeit a little bit slower, until he turned away for a final time and blasted off into the night sky.

He wouldn't let them die. Not again.

-

TBC…

-1- I have that doll. It looks like a bat to me, but the creators swear it's a dragon. Oookay.

Hurray! Next chapter is the appearance of the androids. I enjoyed writing this chapter, really.

No, they aren't going back to the future. They need the time to train, too ;D

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button and type away.

-don darko.


	5. No Time To Lose

Impasse

By Don Darko

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reviewing. I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and the story so far. Be sure to review for this chapter, too!

-

Pan nestled deeper into the pillow and smiled. The gentle, feather-like brushes of Majunior's fingers traced around every pudge and crevice of her skin in a comforting fashion. They twisted her raven locks around her ear and followed the strands past her shoulders, where they cut off at an even line.

"Sleep now, Panny. Tomorrow's the big day. Just relax now," Majunior murmured and kissed his eight-year-old's temple. Said youngster smiled groggily and closed her milky chocolate eyes and turned her head deeper into the pillow. Smiling, Majunior stood from her twin sized bed and stepped toward the door. He turned to gaze at her peaceful face once more before turning her Hercule Satan Macho Man Lamp off and closing the door silently behind him.

One of Pan's eyes flicked open quickly. She smirked and sat up in the bed, kicking the white comforter off of her legs. It was so easy to trick her father sometimes. She pulled her old teddy bear out from under the blankets and hugged him tightly.

-

Majunior played his fingers along the wall as he walked the short corridors of his little capsule house. The place wasn't much, but it was enough to get him, Trunks, Bulma, and his little girl by. It reminded him of his childhood home out on the countryside. Trunks's bedroom door was wide open, allowing his peaceful snores to drift to Majunior's ears. The sound made him smile.

His fingers stopped when they brushed the doorknob he wanted. He pushed the door open and stepped into the white tiled bathroom. Majunior's pale brown eyes searched the countertops and drawers as he felt for the instrument he needed. His lips drew into a fine line and picked up what he was searching for: a silver scalpel.

-

"A comfort teddy," Pan mused and scooted across the length of her twin capsule bed to the large, oval-shaped window. The harvest moon was out tonight. The lunar light graced her surroundings with a mysterious glow. Her eyes sparkled with the same light that would have turned her ancestors into giant monsters. The little girl smiled with faint sadness and leaned her head against the window.

How she loved the harvest moon.

-

Majunior brought the blade to the back of his neck and prodded the skin with his fingers. His heart began to hammer against his chest when his fingertips found the gentle slope he was looking for. He held his breath and brought the scalpel closer, cutting into his mutant skin. Majunior's clamped eyes opened, finding that the slender blade didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. The tip scraped against the metal defibrillator.

He smiled. There it was: the only thing standing between him and the power and adrenaline he needed to defeat the androids. He swiftly sliced across the small metal machine, damaging it beyond repair. Only when a weak click resounded into his brain did the hybrid stop his onslaught.

"This isn't so bad," Majunior whispered to the empty bathroom. He swallowed, feeling the tightness arise in his chest. It was familiar in a far-away type of familiarity. He dragged in a long, shaky breath and leaned against the blindingly white counter top. The room began to become crowded.

"It's a side effect of the lithium wearing off after all of this time of being dependant on it," Majunior reasoned. "I just need some fresh air." After clotting the wound with a fluffy white face towel and bandaging it up, he let his hair fall down and conceal it.

-

Pan smiled as she watched the sparkles dance on her artificial leg. Every time she moved it, the silver glimmers would smile and bask in their own beauty. She giggled softly and cuddled closer to her teddy bear.

"I still remember when Daddy introduced me to you, Dexter," she told the teddy. The little stuffed bear gazed back up at her with its starry black depths. She smiled wider.

"I know, Dexter. Daddy's my favorite person, too."

-

Majunior held his head as he pulled the front door open. The chilly October air played in his dark locks, swishing them to and fro. He closed the door behind him and stumbled around to lean against the paneling. He opened his bloodshot eyes. His breath caught in his throat.

The grass beneath his feet was blindingly bright; a painful lime green. They appeared magnified by a million times, showing the hybrid their detailed leaves. Majunior began to hyperventilate. Whatever his eyes jumped to seemed to be painted with neon colors and magnified to show him their beauty.

A quick, throbbing pain attacked his head. Majunior bit back a scream as he clutched his head, praying to Kami to make it stop. The muscles in his arms and hands twitched, itching to simply crush his own skull. He pulled his eyes tightly closed, willing for the darkness to take him.

_You have someone to take care of._ Majunior's eyes flew open. _You can't leave her. You can't leave him, either. They still need you._ The woman's gentle voice soothed the throbbing ache in his skull. Majunior relaxed slowly.

_THEY NEED YOU._ The woman's voice suddenly became shrill before fading out. A child's soft, doll-like voice took her place. _Don't leave her, please._ The little child cooed. Majunior nodded, "I won't leave her. I'll always be here for her."

A strong, male voice took the child's place. _He needs your help. He's still not ready._ Majunior shivered. The sound of the dark voice sent chills down his spine. "I'll help him. I'll help him be ready. I'm the only one who can do it." His head became soundless.

Slowly, Majunior opened his eyes. The pain ebbed away with the voices, leaving total silence behind it. The night was still. There was no wind or rustling of the trees. The harvest moon light sparkled down to him and stroked his cheek. He lifted his head to the moon and began a shadow of a smile.

The smile barely made it to his lips before falling open. Majunior's eyes doubled in size as he stared up at the sky.

The sky above him swirled into a dark vortex.

Majunior shut his eyes and drew his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and laid his head on his arms. "These hallucinations are killing me."

_We're not hallucinations…_ The child-like voice mumbled in the back of his head. The voice had a little sad pout to it.

Majunior bit his lip, ready to tough out the hallucinations until morning.

-

Pan yawned, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. The little eight-year-old stretched and flopped back onto her mattress. With a big smile, she pulled her teddy bear closer. She gazed out of the window to the moon one last time, sucking up as much of its light as she could.

"Tomorrow's the big day," she repeated her father's words. She turned to her teddy, who was staring out into the distance with its lifeless button eyes.

"No, Dexter. I _know _he'll win."

-

Morning came bright and early. The birds chirped innocently, as if it were any other day. Of course, to them, it was. The sun flitted over the Mt. Pouz region before resting on the domed Son House.

"Come on, Dad!" Gohan hopped from one foot to the other eagerly. A quick knock sounded on the front door, but he ignored it. His father was taking so _long_.

"Oh come on, Gohan. You need to eat more," Goku's words were barely intelligible with all the food he was stuffing into his face at once. Gohan sighed and stuffed a few more pancakes in. Piccolo grimaced.

"Well hello there!" Chichi chimed from the front door. "Why, haven't you've grown, Panny!" Gohan's eyes widened. He jumped off of the chair and literally flew out of the kitchen. Goku laughed at his son's antics, but was cut off by an egg lodging itself in his windpipe. After a few rough thrusts on the back (courtesy of Piccolo), the Saiyan enthusiastically continued his breakfast.

"Pan!"

"Goha-" the little girl was cut off by a strong hug from her smaller-scaled father. He picked her up and spun her around happily. "I missed you, Pan!" The little girl made a suffocated squeak. "Oops… sorry, Panny," Gohan set the girl down and scratched the back of his neck with his left hand. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"I'll say," Pan mumbled in a raspy voice before grinning. "Your hair is longer."

"Yeah, so's yours!" Gohan grinned back. "But you're still shorter than me!" Pan pouted and punched the boy in his shoulder, only earning her another bout of laughter.

"So, where's Goku?" Mirai Bulma asked her old-time friend. Her question was answered by a loud belch.

"Goku! We have GUESTS!" Chichi's cheeks flamed as she stalked toward the kitchen. Her husband was reclining peacefully in the wooden chair. He smiled apologetically at her.

"Sorry, Chi."

"Don't worry about us, Chichi, it's not like we haven't seen it before," Mirai Bulma glared lightly at her son and Majunior. Two said men glanced around innocently.

"Oh, Kami Majunior!" Chichi blubbered as she approached the hybrid. Majunior tensed slightly as her gentle hand combed his hair and traced his face. "You look like you didn't sleep at all last night."

"I didn't, really, but I'm raring to go today," Majunior offered a weak smile. Mirai Bulma scoffed.

"You'd better be, kid. Today is huge."

Trunks stared at his friend a moment longer, attempting to process the man's thoughts. It wasn't like him, staying up all night. He shrugged, passing it off as nerves, and smiled at Chichi. "So, is everyone ready to go?" Goku hopped up from his chair and smiled confidently.

"I'm ready! Let's hit it. Er, Pan, are you coming too?" Goku tilted his head and stared down to the little girl. She pouted.

"No, she's staying here. It's too dangerous for her to be on the battleground," Majunior mumbled before kneeling down by his daughter. He kissed her puffed-up cheek, making her only pout more.

"I trained for the last two years, too, you know. I'm even faster than Daddy at flying now, but he won't let me fight with you guys."

Majunior smiled, "Thank you for not throwing a fit. You're the best."

"I know," Pan turned on her heel and occupied her grandfather's seat at the kitchen table.

"Well, let's go, then," Trunks nodded to the women and followed the others out the door. Goku and Gohan gave Chichi long hugs and goodbyes. Mirai Bulma smiled as she watched her son leave the house.

"You'd better come back alive, kid. That's all I can say."

-

"There it is!" Majunior shouted over the wind that rushed past them as they flew top-speed toward the city. They landed with soft _thumps _on the grass on a high ledge of the mountain.

"Oh, hey guys!" Bulma smiled and cradled a tan little infant to her bosom. Yamucha, Tien, and Krillen greeted their friends with warm hellos. Goku blinked as he stared down at the little baby.

"Uh, I know I must be stupid for asking, but… What's with the baby, Bulma?" Goku tilted his head, as if it would give him a better look.

"Is he your son, Yamucha?" Gohan glanced up at the taller human fighter. Said man scoffed and turned away.

"No, but just wait until you hear who the real father is…"

Majunior strode right up to Bulma and smiled down at the little baby, "I'll bet it's Vegeta, isn't it? Huh, Trunks?" Bulma's mouth fell open.

"Now how did you know that, Majunior? I wanted it to be a secret. You guessed his name right, too!" The furrowed her eyebrows together. Majunior blinked.

"I'm from the future, Bulma. I know these things. Besides," he dragged Trunks over by his arm, "where do you think he came from? He didn't fall out of the sky, you know," Majunior smiled playfully. Bulma's and everyone else's eyes doubled in size. She slowly touched Trunks's shoulder and slid her fingers up his neck to his cheek.

"You mean… you are my…" she looked back down at the little blue-eyed baby in her arms, then back up to the identical blue-eyed man in front of her. "Wow! Well, I'm glad you grow up to be a strong, handsome young man my widdle Trunksie-Wunksie!" Bulma grinned as she bounced her baby playfully. The little tyke laughed. "Isn't that right? Isn't that right? Yes yes yes!" The baby giggled as his mother have him an Eskimo kiss.

Trunks chewed his tongue for a moment.

"How come Mom's not that nice to me anymore?" Trunks turned to his friend exasperatedly. Majunior chuckled.

"Because you're not that cute anymore," Majunior laughed as Trunks sent an accusing glare his way.

-

"Ugh, what time is it?" Krillen groaned as he sat up and stretched from his spot on the grass.

"Nine forty-five," Majunior rocked back and forth slightly, gazing off into space. Krillen raised an eyebrow and looked over to the small group that had formed around the baby. This small group included Gohan, Trunks, and Bulma and her infant. The two hybrid boys were taking turns making the little child laugh. Trunks awkwardly made faces at his babyfied counterpart, who in turn screamed with joy.

"Since he's Vegeta's son, he's half Saiyan like you, right?" Goku asked. Majunior nodded absent mindedly.

"So, he should be able to turn Super Saiyan like us."

Majunior bit his lip, coming back from his daydreaming. "I'm sure he can, but… He just hasn't."

"What do you mean 'he hasn't'?" Piccolo opened one eye curiously.

"Well, to transform into a Super Saiyan, you need to be pushed over an invisible line. It's an emotional tug that drags you into a feeling of invincibility. The feelings that are the strongest during this transformation are negative ones: Anger, fear, jealousy, sadness, the works. It's like," Majunior struggled for the right words.

"It's like going insane," Goku finished. Majunior tensed automatically. Yamucha's eyes darted over to him, watching the man carefully. _It's like going insane._

"…Right. And Trunks just hasn't had that tug yet. He's powerful enough to be equal to a Super Saiyan, but the transformation isn't there. The transformation itself gives the Saiyan an enlarged tap of energy to blow all of their power on. Trunks's power is growing, but his energy tap is the same. The more powerful he gets the more energy he needs.

"Trunks is so much like his father that almost nothing gets to him. The only thing I can think of that would push him over the edge is the loss of a loved one."

The four men around him drifted to Majunior, who was staring back up at the sky. Quietly, he added, "And the only person who he comes close to losing… is me."

"HEY!" All five men jumped at the sudden shout. All heads turned to a little capsule car that was speeding toward them.

"Uh, who's that?" Bulma squinted at the car.

"That looks like… Yajirobe?" Krillen grinned.

The car came to a stop, hovering only slightly over the soft grass. A fat little man hopped out to land on the ground, but only catching his sandal on the door and falling on his face. Krillen bit back his laughter.

Yajirobe got up quickly and brushed himself off before glancing around to the faces of the Z Fighters. He eyed the two newcomers and his lips curled into a smirk.

"So, you are the two weirdoes from the future, huh?" Majunior smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's us."

"Hmph. You don't look anything like Gohan," Yajirobe leaned in to Majunior's face and studied him carefully. Majunior flinched away, holding his breath. His fists curled around the innocent grass beneath him. His eyes widened and his muscles ached, but he refused their wishes. "No…" he whispered to himself softly.

"Ugh, what's wrong with you?" Yajirobe leaned back and tilted his head. Trunks raised an eyebrow. What _was_ wrong with him?

Majunior regained his composure and sent a small smirk Yajirobe's way, "It's just… you smell like a dead animal…"

Krillen's face was turning purple.

"Well fine! Then I guess you don't want the senzu beans," Yajirobe curled his fingers and turned on his heel, only to bump into Goku.

"Thank you for bringing senzu beans for us, Yajirobe," he said and swiftly snatched the brown sack off of Yajirobe's belt.

"Hey! I didn't say you could have them!" Yajirobe growled and narrowed his small eyes. Goku pulled the bag open and peeked inside. His face broke into smiles.

"Wow, there must be thirty beans in here! Tell Korin I said thanks, okay Yajirobe?"

"What?! How do you know I wasn't going to fight with you guys?"

Krillen laughed, "Well, we got enough help from you the last time Earth was attacked. Remember, Itchy-robey?" Now Yajirobe's face was the one turning purple.

"You're never gonna let me live that down, were you?! I said it was a military tactic!"

Krillen just laughed harder.

"Whatever. I'm leaving, then," Yajirobe sent one last glare at Krillen before jumping back into his car and blasting away. Trunks looked over to Majunior, who was still clutching desperately at the grass.

"Gohan, are you oka-" A loud explosion cut him off. All heads twisted to the sound.

Yajirobe's car fell to pieces over the ocean.

"The androids are here," Majunior mumbled. He jumped up to his feet and looked over to his comrades, "Gohan, you go help Yajirobe. Everyone else, come with me. We're going android hunting." With a slight pain to the back of his skull and a whisper in his thoughts, he turned toward the city and blasted off.

-

TBC…

Yes! Android hunting! Whoo!

Well, next chapter coming soon. You guys are in for a real surprise. I'm so excited, I might post the next chapter before next week!

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button and type away.

-don darko.


	6. We've Got To Move

Impasse

Author's Note: I invite you all to my dA (my homepage on my profile) to view art I myself drew for this fanfiction. The collection is small for right now, but I hope to make it grow. Stop by ;D

Wow, this is chapter six! The longest fic I've ever done so far. Go me! Anyway, I'm happy you all enjoyed the last chapter. I could barely keep myself from updating too soon for this next chapter (but you guys wouldn't have minded, eh?)

-

"There are two androids. They're sleek and incredibly fast, so you'll have to be careful. The first one, Android 17, is modeled to look like a young man with long black hair and a red scarf. The second one, Android 18, looks like a beautiful young woman with blonde hair," Majunior explained in a hurry. "Everything but two things appears completely human: Their power and their eyes. Those lifeless blue eyes still give me nightmares."

The team landed swiftly in the middle of the small city and turned to each other. Majunior drew his lips into a thin line, "Since they're not human, they don't have an energy signal, so we'll have to search with our eyes. Everyone pair up; Tien and Yamucha, Krillen and Goku- Piccolo, you can come with me and Trunks until Gohan gets back."

"Everyone watch each other's back," Trunks nodded, "Some of us just may not get home alive. Teamwork is everything."

Team by team, the Z Fighters separated. Majunior turned on his heel and sprinted down the street, Trunks and Piccolo close in tow.

"Gohan, do you really think we have a chance?" the young lilac haired warrior asked. Majunior attempted a weak smile.

"As long as Goku lives, I think we do."

"Where is Father?"

"I don't know. He's a stubborn guy, Trunks, but I know he would never run away from a good fight. He'll be here just in time." Trunks smiled. _Just like a_ _superhero_.

-

"C'mon, Yajirobe…" Gohan motioned for the large man to grab his hand.

"Dammit, kid! Just pull me up! I need my arms to swim!" Yajirobe's head went under the water again. With a heavy, impatient sigh, Gohan dunked his hand into the ocean water and pulled the drowning man out.

"Gyaah, no! Owowowow, don't pull my hair, you little runt!" Gohan hovered a few yards into the air, still holding Yajirobe by the locks before letting go. The large man screamed as he plummeted back to the watery depths, but the splash never came. Gohan rolled his eyes and gripped Yajirobe's belt tighter.

"Let's hurry, I have to go back and help the team," Gohan smiled innocently and flew back to the ledge, ignoring Yajirobe's curses.

-

Majunior came to a sudden stop inside city square. Where were those damn androids?

"Excuse me, sir; have you seen a young man with long black hair and blue eyes, about this tall, wearing a red neckerchief and blue Converse?" Trunks interrogated for the millionth-and-a-half time, yet the answer was the same as the last.

No.

"If I were an android, where would I go?" Trunks mumbled to himself. Piccolo's ear twitched as searched the faces of the crowd again. He placed a hand on a young man's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. The man's head lifted slowly, fear spiking his expression.

"Excuse me; have you seen any weirdoes around here?" He asked in his dark voice. The young man began to tremble.

"E-except for you? N-no, I haven't." Piccolo growled and his grip tightened out of habit. The man's voice began to get hysterical, "P-please don't kill me! Here, take my wallet, my watch, my wedding ring… just-just don't kill me!" The man dropped his riches and ran away. Piccolo sighed in exasperation. Why did everyone do that every time he asked them a question?

"Just keep looking. They have to be around here somewhere," Majunior bit his lip.

"Hey!" Gohan called from above, gaining the attention of his fellow aliens and a few humans. The little boy grinned as he dropped to Earth. Bystanders screamed, expecting him to splatter across the pavement, but he merely landed on the balls of his feet with a soft _plat_.

"Er, Gohan, ever heard of being inconspicuous?" Majunior mumbled. Gohan smiled apologetically.

"I left Yajirobe with Bulma and little Trunks," Gohan reported.

"You mean… she's still here?!" Trunks clenched his fists.

"Yeah, but she said she'd leave soon."

Majunior scoffed, "Yeah, right."

Just then, a sharp decline in a Fighter's energy made the four aliens tense. Completely forgetting their surroundings, they blasted off into the air to find the source.

-

Majunior's mouth fell open. There before him, Yamucha hung lifelessly from an elderly man's hands. Behind the elder, a fat, completely alabaster clown smiled wickedly.

"So, Yamucha was not alone," the alabaster clown's voice was heart-wrenchingly childish. It was as if it was coming out of an older child's toy.

"Yes," the elder agreed. He pulled his hand from Yamucha's chest and tilted his head to the side. "Let us see. Krillen, Goku, Tien, Piccolo, Gohan, and…" his gaze locked on the two time travelers, "two friends. How odd, I do not have any files on those two."

"Neither do I," the clown's smile dropped. Majunior's entire body was vibrating as he glared angrily at the two murderers before him.

"What have you _done_?!" Goku balled up his fists and stepped forward. Krillen put a hand on his chest, as if it'd keep him from attacking. The elder met the Saiyan's glare with icy, lifeless eyes.

"I killed him."

Majunior's vibrating stopped. His eyes widened. "You… You two are androids." The two murderer's heads snapped toward him. The elder one ghosted a smile.

"You know about us, do you? How, may I ask?"

"No, you may not," Majunior's gaze turned dark.

"Gohan, calm down. We can't fight them while we're in the city," Trunks whispered. The elder android's eyes widened.

"Gohan, hmm? Now that's queer. My data shows that you should either be ten or dead, and you're neither. Besides," he turned his gaze to Gohan, "the real Gohan Son is standing right there."

"You said they were a girl and a boy, Majunior. All I see are a couple clowns," Piccolo's eyes never left the two androids' faces.

"That's because these two aren't the same ones from my timeline. They aren't 17 and 18," Majunior leaned forward, vibrating again. Trunks grabbed one of his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.

"You can't fight them here," Trunks repeated himself.

"I don't care! Yamucha didn't even get a chance," Majunior leaned forward more. His body burst into a flurry of golden flames, forcing his hair to defy gravity and glow wickedly. His eyes dulled into a solid teal; pupil and all.

"This is even queerer. You know about the androids, expected 17 and 18, and you're a Super Saiyan," the elder's smile was wide now. "But your little friend is right about one thing, we can't fight here. Too many meaningless people to get in our way." He turned to Goku. "You're the one I want to fight first. I've been waiting a long time for it. Don't disappoint me; I want a good fight before I disappoint you."

The two androids floated into the air silently. Goku exhaled a long sigh, still managing to control his anger. He looked over to the two half-Saiyans. Trunks was still holding on to the flaming Majunior. Trunks met his eyes and nodded sharply.

"Follow them, we'll meet you there," Trunks said bitterly. The others nodded and followed the robotic monsters without question, but not before Krillen pushed a Senzu bean past Yamucha's lips.

"He still has a heartbeat," Krillen reported. Not ten seconds after Yamucha swallowed the bean, his eyes flew open and he sat upright. "Welcome back to the living world, man. That was a close one!" Krillen laughed.

Trunks pulled the older hybrid into a nearby alley and sat him on the concrete. He held Majunior's enraged face in his hands.

"Gohan, what's going on with you? You haven't been yourself all morning."

"I-it-t's noth-hing. I'm fine," Majunior replied shakily, dropping out of his transcended form. He avoided his friend's eyes.

"I don't believe you. I know you, Gohan," Trunks pulled his lips together, attempting to make eye contact. Majunior's vibrating slowed. He let his head hang slightly, shamefully. Trunks's eyes widened.

"What did you do, Gohan…?" Majunior flinched as a sharp pain inflicted itself upon the back of his head. His hand mechanically flew up and wrapped around it. Trunks's breathing increased slightly. "No… you didn't," he whispered. He lifted Majunior's head enough to meet the man's coffee brown eyes.

"Oh, God," Trunks's hand gently prodded his friend's hand away, letting it fall back into his lap. He shifted Majunior's black locks. His breath hitched in his throat. "How could you, Gohan? Why would you?"

The adhesive alabaster gauze was stained crimson with old and new blood.

"It was the only thing standing between me and the rage I need to be strong," Majunior mumbled, letting his head fall onto Trunks's shoulder.

"Gohan… you don't need rage to be powerful," Trunks didn't take his eyes away from the bandage.

"All Saiyans need rage, Trunks. Rage is what makes them so feared," Majunior pulled away and sat up. He smiled darkly when his eyes met Trunks's moonlight blues. "Since I took the defibrillator out, I've had so much energy. Granted, I haven't felt quite myself, but so many ideas and so much energy came to me all at once; it was amazing. You'll understand when you transcend to Super Saiyan, Trunks. You'll long for that energy. That machine was only making me suppress my true power and keeping me from accessing the power hidden within me.

"Of course, rage isn't the only thing that transforms a Saiyan. There's always anguish, hatred, and betrayal. They're all quite effective. Yes, anguish, hatred, rage, and betrayal. My father transcended because of anguish. Vegeta transcended because of hatred. I transcended because of anger.

"But, besides, it's not like we can do anything about it now. All we can do now is find the others and kill the androids before the androids kill us. With Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and you and I banded together, those two will be a piece of cake."

Trunks's eyes narrowed. He stood up, towering over the other hybrid.

"I can't believe you, Gohan," he spat, "You truly are insane. You think you can only be powerful through rage. There are other emotions that are just as strong and even stronger. There is passion and dedication. There is love and longing. Not every powerful person is motivated by negativity. Goku transcended because of his passion. Father transcended because of his dedication. You transcended because of your love, not because you're angry and not because you're miserable. At least, they weren't the reasons when you were my big brother.

Where did my big brother go, anyway? Who killed Gohan Son?" Trunks clenched his eyes shut and rocketed into the sky.

Majunior stared down at his hands and bit his lip. Who killed Gohan Son? "Anguish. Hatred. Rage. Betrayal," Majunior pondered, "Goku. Vegeta. Gohan. Trunks. Passion. Dedication. Love. Longing," he whispered, "Goku. Vegeta. Gohan. Trunks."

Pain inflicted his skull once again, but he ignored it.

"Trunks…" Majunior closed his eyes.

-

"Where's Majunior?" Goku tilted his head in Trunks's direction. The young man forced a smile.

"He's not feeling like himself." Well, at least it wasn't a lie. Goku smiled back.

"I hope he's not getting that virus. There's enough medicine for twenty people in that capsule he gave me, though, so just in case." Trunks nodded.

"Thank you, Goku."

Yamucha sighed and fingered his chest where the android's cold hand drilled into it. "Be careful when you're fighting those things, guys. They have some kind of thing on their hands that drains your energy. It's crazy."

"This is far enough," the elderly android said and landed on the deserted ground. He turned slowly to meet the faces of his opponents. "Who's first?"

Goku stepped forward, "You said you wanted to fight me. It would be rude to keep you waiting." The android smiled.

"You can call me Android 20. This is Android 19," He motioned toward the alabaster clown. Goku didn't move his eyes away.

"Oh, no. You're not going to go before me, Kakarott," Vegeta shouted and landed on the ground in front of Goku. Goku grinned and tilted his head.

"Ah, Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans," 20 sneered. The Prince smirked and leaned his golden head back. "And a Super Saiyan, at that. Impressive, but not enough to defeat me."

Vegeta's smirk only intensified. "We'll see."

With that, the two leapt into battle.

-

It had been two hours since Trunks left him for the battle, but Majunior couldn't bring himself to follow. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, deep in thought.

Or, thoughts deep in him, rather.

_You're not insane, Gohan, _the childlike voice soothed. Majunior shook his head.

"Why do you think that?" he inquired.

_If you were insane, then you'd be out killing people like you used to,_ it reasoned. Its bigender voice resounded throughout the corners of his brain.

"I don't need to kill people to be insane," Majunior laid his head on his arms, ignoring the passing citizens and the strange looks they threw at him.

_Those people dislike you because you're normal._

"No, they don't know me. They think I'm insane."

_Why do you think they think that you're insane?_

"Because I'm talking to a unisex child in my thoughts."

_How do you know everyone doesn't do that?_ The child sounded hurt.

"Because not everyone is insane."

_Gohan,_ a woman's sugar-sweet voice melted in his mind, _Trunks needs you._

"He's mad at me."

_Oh, sweetums, he's not mad. Stop moping and help him. You're the only one who can help him transcend, you know._

"There are others who can do it. I'm not the only person he loves."

_Just do it!_ The woman's voice began to rise in pitch, _You think you're unimportant. He loves you, and you know it. Stop being a little emofag and get off your ass and go help that boy._ Majunior sighed, ignoring the woman. Her voice faded off into the recesses of his mind.

_She's right, Gohan,_ a man's dark voice whispered. _You are, in fact, the only person who can possibly understand the inner mechanisms of his thoughts. You both are two of a kind; the only known Saiyan/Human hybrids. The passion of a Saiyan bound together with the curiosity of a human is an immortal being._

Majunior bit his lip.

_You and I both know that once Trunks transcends, he will be the most powerful person alive. He will wipe out the androids without even batting an eye. He will succeed where you did not; where you cannot. Go, Gohan. You need to transcend him._

Majunior smiled as he felt his fellow hybrid's energy level fluctuate with the excitement of battle. A loud explosion came from the direction of his energy, making his eyes fly open.

Majunior pulled himself to his feet and, ignoring inconspicuousness, he took flight.

-

"What the hell happened here?" Majunior floated a few feet above the ground. In front of him was a crater about fifty feet deep. "Er…" A few feet in front of him sat 19's disembodied head. A collapse of energy a few miles away called for his attention. Without another word, Majunior followed it.

-

'Lousy robot,' Vegeta's eye twitched as he scanned the ground. The stinking android ran away after its accomplice was blown to smithereens. The stupid machine shouldn't have underestimated him, anyway. Now, because 20 hid in the mountains, he and the useless meatsack humans and hybrids were forced to look for it. Well, he'd find it, and when he did, he'd blow it up, too! (Of course, not without torturing it a little first).

"Father," Trunks mumbled, not taking his eyes off of the motionless rocks.

"What is it, brat?" Vegeta snapped, "You're distracting me."

"I'm sorry, Father, but we need to get back to the others. It's not good for us to be split up like this, especially without Gohan near." Trunks's voice cracked slightly as he said his friend's name, but Vegeta was too entranced in his little 'find-it' game to chew his future son's head off for being weak.

"Don't be ridiculous, boy, and keep looking. I want that android. I'm going to make a pinball machine out of it."

Trunks sighed and turned his head to look around at the rocks behind him, but his mind was unable to concentrate on the task at hand. 'I know that what I said to him earlier wasn't per say the most motivational thing to say to a friend, but he just makes me angry like that sometimes,' he mused. 'Then again, you have your best fights with your best friends, right?' Trunks smiled.

Just then, Piccolo's energy level began to plummet.

"This way!" Vegeta blasted toward the Namek, Trunks close behind. When they reached Piccolo, Krillen and the others had already arrived. 20 was latched onto Piccolo's back, one hand over the green man's mouth and the other around his arms.

"So much energy!" 20 laughed slightly, his lifeless eyes narrowing. Piccolo's energy drained quickly and 20 let him slide out of his grasp. Krillen caught him before he hit the rocks and shoved a bean into his mouth.

"Impressive," 20 smirked, "How did you all know I was over here?"

"It's called sensing," Vegeta grinned impiously, "It's that feeling you get when someone is watching you heightened ten thousand times. Of course, you wouldn't know that, because you're not real." 20 didn't flinch.

"Well, with Piccolo's energy, I can take you all on-" his sentence was left unfinished when a flash of golden light and a foot in his mouth cut him off. 20 was sent spiraling back into the mountains.

Majunior was trembling with unleashed energy. He floated where 20 just was, still in position. Trunks let out a sigh of relief.

"Gohan…" Majunior refused to meet Trunks's eyes. The younger hybrid frowned.

"Where is everyone?" Majunior glanced around, using his peripheral vision to see the fighters present.

"Well, Goku came down with that heart virus you were talking about. Yamucha took him back to the Son house. Gohan took Bulma and Yajirobe back there, too, and Vegeta blew 19 up," Krillen explained as Piccolo sat up, regaining his energy. Majunior cocked an eyebrow.

"19? Is that what its name was?" Krillen nodded.

"The one you just kicked was 20."

"I see. So, that means that 17 and 18 aren't activated yet."

"Right, and Mother recognized 20 as Dr. Gero, one of Goku's old enemies," Trunks added. Majunior nodded, still not acknowledging the other hybrid. He looked up at Piccolo.

"Did she say anything about his laboratory?"

Piccolo shrugged. Trunks leaned in.

"Yes, she told me where she thought it was. I could lead you there."

"Speaking of 20," Krillen mumbled, "Where did he go?" The Z Fighters looked around.

"Fuck," they muttered in unison.

Majunior growled under his breath and shot a stern look over to Trunks, "Take me to Dr. Gero's lab." Trunks grinned.

"Not before I find that android and kill it!" Vegeta stated impatiently.

"He's probably heading back to his lab right now," Majunior answered him. Vegeta glared and looked over to his future son.

"You, brat, take us to Gero's laboratory. When we get there, I get to kill the other two androids."

-

"It's somewhere here in the cliff face. It looks like any ordinary cave, so look carefully," Trunks was practically high on his own happiness. Sure, Majunior was a little ticked off at him, but he'd get over it soon enough. At least he was talking to him.

"Over there," Piccolo pointed to a small cave. The team landed gently one-by-one inside. Majunior smiled.

"How inconspicuous." A large, steel, bolted door hid the depth of the cave.

"Shhh, listen," Piccolo pressed his ear to the door. "It sounds like he's in there arguing with someone." Majunior and Trunks stepped forward, placing their ears on the door as well.

Trunks's blood ran cold.

"That's 17 and 18. He's activated them!" the lilac-haired warrior said as his eyes widened in terror.

"Well, then, stand back and watch the fireworks," Vegeta smirked. The three aliens turned to him. He held up his palms and gathered energy, aiming for the door. He didn't wait for the others to move before he blasted the door down. The fighters pressed themselves against the cave walls, eyes wide, noses nearly burnt.

"How nice," a slender male said in a cool voice. An identical blonde female smiled notoriously. She scanned the small laboratory room and locked her eyes on a coffin-like container in the middle of the room.

"Android 16," she said in an equally cool voice.

"No, don't let him out, he's malfunctioning," 20 commanded in a frantic voice. His eyes widened and he flinched back when 17 glared at him.

"Go ahead, 18, let our brother out to play," 17 assured. The woman smiled excitedly and hovered her hand over the "RELEASE" button.

"Stop right now!" 20 shouted. 18 glared up at him.

"I'm tired of you, old man," 18 growled in her melodic voice. She disappeared from 16's case and reappeared in front of 20, swiping her arm at his neck and slicing his head clean off his shoulders. As the head fell to the ground, 20 let out a string of curses.

"Now for Brother 16," 18 sang and returned to the case. Trunks's eyes widened.

"NO! Don't touch that!" He let his arms fly up and released an enormous energy blast, making the entire lab detonate.

"God damn. What is this, Explosion Day?" Majunior mumbled under his breath as he floated just outside the range of the detonation. Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't matter, Majunior. Look," Piccolo pointed to a plateau where the androids were standing around casually.

"Of course," Majunior sighed.

-

TBC…

I invite you all to my dA (my homepage on my profile) to view art I myself drew for this fanfiction. The collection is small for right now, but I hope to make it grow. Stop by ;D

Hurrah. I got it done before 11 PM. But, I still have to say, I'm a bit uncomfortable with it. I feel like there's so much more I could have detailed.

Also, I'm sorry for changing the chapter titles to much. I think I've found one that I like, though 

Anyway, there's another surprise coming your way in the next chapter. It's my personal favorite surprise, too! If you want to read it, press the little 'review' button and type away.

-don darko.


	7. Steady Your Hand

Impasse

Author's Note: Oooh. This is my favorite chapter so far. I'm glad you all liked the last one! It makes me confident to continue writing when I get those new reviews. So, keep reviewing! I'm eatin' it up over here.

I apologize in advance about any typos.

Oh, and if you visit my dA (Deviant Art) regularly, you'll sometimes see new pictures and a few sneak-peaks of future chapters…

-

18 smirked as she set her mechanical brother's casket on the red plateau surface. She slid her slender, pale fingers across the smooth texture and played with the red "OPEN" button.

"Oh, 16, you must be so exhausted…" 17 said coolly. 18 pressed the button, allowing the hatch door to open with a steamy hiss. Inside, an enormous man opened his eyes.

They were blue and lifeless, just like the androids created after him.

His fiery red Mohawk swayed lightly in the breeze. He placed his two large hands on either side of his casket and pulled himself up. He scanned his surroundings, including our tensed Z Fighters nearby.

"Goku," 16 mumbled in a deep, monotone voice. 17 and 18 grinned maliciously.

"We have to destroy them!" Trunks's fists were trembling. On top of his mother's master plan to save the future being completely wrecked, Majunior still had barely acknowledged his presence. Said man wouldn't even turn in his direction. Trunks released a very Vegeta-like snarl. -1-

"We can't fight them without Goku," Majunior mused. He cut his eyes over to his comrades and focused on Krillen. "You said that Gohan took Bulma and her baby back to Goku's house, right?"

Krillen nodded, "Yeah, that's right." Majunior's lips drew into a thin line.

"Good, then that makes one competent babysitter for Pan. I can't have her coming out here; it's too dangerous."

"Well I'm not waiting around! I'm going to destroy those toasters myself, one-by-one!" Vegeta's veins pumped with his elite Saiyan blood.

-

"What do we do, brother?" 18 asked absent-mindedly. "I don't want to fly everywhere. It'll mess up my hair." 17 smiled sympathetically.

"Alright, then. We'll just have to find some wheels. You up for that, 16? What do you say about going on a joyride through town?" his smile turned sadistic; "We can blow a few things up while we're at it."

16's face didn't change. "I only want to kill Goku. It is my purpose." 18 cocked a beautifully shaped eyebrow.

"Hmm. It seems that he won't be any fun until he gets to kill Goku."

"That's it! We'll kill Goku. _Then_ we can go on a little joyride. It was what we were made for, anyway. After work is out of the way, we're all play," 17 floated into the air. 18 smiled and followed, motioning for 16 to do the same. The heavy killing machine lifted himself into the air without a hint of struggle. The three androids blasted away.

-

"Ghh… No! Dammit, they're flying away! Cowards!" Vegeta powered up and began to follow them. Trunks's eyes widened.

"No! You can't, Father, you're no match for them alone!" He moved in front of the Saiyan Prince and held his arms out. Vegeta would have none of it.

"Get the hell out of my way, boy. I'm the only one powerful enough to destroy those three and I'm going to do just that with none of yours or anyone else's help!"

"Please listen, Father. In my time, those monsters killed you! You fought alone then and failed, and if you fight alone again, you'll fail again!" Trunks refused to budge, matching Vegeta's stubbornness every step of the way. Vegeta's eye twitched and his fist blurred. Trunks landed on the rough rock, leaving a small crater. Vegeta took off.

Majunior took a deep breath and met eyes with his fellow hybrid. The corner of his mouth twitched and pulled into a small frown. He released his breath and floated down next to Trunks.

"He's a proud guy, Trunks. If he wants something, he's going to get it," Majunior's frown shadowed into a smile for a split second, "just like you," he added quietly. He took Trunks's hands and pulled the teen up to his feet. He then commenced in brushing the dust off of Trunks's ripped jacket and hair. Once most of the dust was removed, he didn't exchange another glance before taking off after Vegeta.

"Come on; let's go make sure he doesn't kill himself."

-

-2- Vegeta erupted in a blood curdling scream and leaned against 18's shoulder. She'd planted her feminine fist into his stomach, forcing the Saiyan Prince's lungs to fail him. He coughed and his eyes doubled in size, falling to his knees and holding his abdomen. 18 rolled her gorgeous blue eyes and let him fall before kicking him out of the way.

"I win," 18 mumbled half-heartedly. 17 smiled and looked at his larger brother.

"I told you she'd win." 16 didn't respond.

Majunior and the other Z Fighters landed softly on the paved highway. 17 barely turned his head.

"Oh, look at that. It's Vegeta's friends and the two mysterious strangers." 16 turned slightly to read the newcomers, but turned back.

"None of them are Goku. They do not interest me." 17 stuck out his bottom lip.

"You're no fun, 16. Don't you want to beat some of them up?"

18 strolled back over to her two brothers and smiled innocently. "Yes, 16, they're quite soft, and it's fun to hear them scream." She cut her eyes back over to the fallen Prince.

Trunks bared his teeth and his hand itched for his sword. "How… how dare you! How dare you hurt my father?" His voice trembled with anger and his vision heated, "You… you bitch!" Trunks sped forward at the speed of light, unsheathing his sword and swung it directly for 18's head. She ducked casually and Trunks spiraled in mid flight from lack of impact, but gracefully landed on his feet. As soon as he touched the ground, he was back in action.

18 dodged his attacks easily without even a blink. Despite Trunks's powerful attacks and skilled strikes, he looked as if he was going in slow motion in comparison to her robotic superiority. With a graceful swipe, 18 backhanded the young hybrid and sent him flying over the side of the road and into the deep ditch.

Majunior's eyes followed along carefully, but the rest of his body didn't budge, even as his friends rushed forward in Trunks's aid. Every muscle in his face was especially still. The only sounds he made were the steady rhythms of his breathing and the slow but potent beats of his heart.

The androids were obviously superior. As the Z Fighters' energy dwindled away with blows and failed attacks, the artificial beings were constantly alert. They planted each Fighter in the ditch alongside Trunks with so much as dirt on their hands.

18 smiled and smoothed her hair back. "Well, that was fun while it lasted." 17 grinned down at the fallen guardians.

"I agree. Let's do it again sometime."

The two turned back to their artificial brother, but the huge machine was gone. Slightly bewildered, they turned their heads in every direction, only to find him hovering over the only Fighter who still remained.

"You remind me of Goku, yet you are not him," 16 stated in his monotone voice. Majunior turned and looked up at him.

"I'm his son."

"You look like him."

"Thank you."

17 and 18 looked at one another, searching for answers. After finding none, they approached the hybrid.

"Goku's son is ten years old," 18 reported from her files. Majunior nodded.

"Yes, he is. But there are two of us."

17 smiled widely, reading his own files. "Half Saiyan, half human, correct?" Majunior nodded. "Why didn't you help your friends here?"

Majunior slid his eyes over to Trunks, who was lifting himself up onto his forearms. One eye half-lit and the other completely closed, he watched.

"No answer," 17 pouted slightly. "You're just like 16."

"No," Majunior answered softly, not taking his eyes off Trunks. 17 inclined his head.

"Tell us what you are, then."

"…I hate my father."

17 rolled his eyes. "Don't we all?"

"Oh shut up, 17. You're such a child," 18 crossed her arms. 17 gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, that was rude of me."

"Come with us," 18 stepped forward and stood in front of the time traveler. "Since you have no intention of helping your friends and you hate Goku just like us, you'd be a great addition to our party." 17's eyes bugged out.

"_What_?"

"You heard me," 18 growled, "If he joins us, then there's no way those little bugs would ever be able to harm us. I can read his power level, he's a Super Saiyan."

"Those little _bugs_ can't harm us anyway, 18," 17 growled back. "Is there something more?"

18 ignored him, "Come on. Amalgamate with us. We'll have fun destroying the planet. We were just planning on finding Goku and killing him. Won't you like that?"

Majunior released a small, wicked smile, "I'd love that." Trunks's entire form became still.

17 sighed, "Fine. We'll still need some wheels. This street isn't busy enough for good cars. Let's go." He floated into the air gracefully, the other two androids following. Majunior watched them float up, and then lowered his gaze back to Earth.

Trunks was standing a few paces away, an infuriated look gracing his features. "What the _fuck_ Gohan?!" the boy snarled, "What are you _doing_?!"

"Teaming up with the androids," Majunior tilted his head and smiled maliciously. Trunks's blue eyes pierced right through his former friend.

"Gohan, those _monsters_ are the reason we're here in the first place, and you're going to _JOIN _them?! They destroyed our world! They killed your friends! They killed _Videl_!"

Majunior's body tensed at the name. His face darkened and he met the other hybrid's eyes, "I don't need your reasoning. I don't need _you_. I _hate _you. You're pathetic, worthless. You can't even transform. Don't you see? I _used _you to get here. I _lied _to you for my own benefit. I _tricked _you into thinking you actually meant something to the world. You don't. Now that I'm done with you, I don't need you anymore. You're nothing." Majunior floated into the air.

Trunks's body was shaking violently. Tears welled in his eyes and his fists curled so tightly that his fingernails drew blood from his palms. Rivers of tears streamed down his cheeks and his expression fell to disbelief. His eyes fell to the ground.

"You…" Trunks squeaked, making Majunior stop in mid-takeoff. "I can't believe you… you were my best friend… my father… my brother… I loved you… and you were just using me? You were just… just…" the choked sobs broke his sentences. Majunior was silent. Trunks's shoulders raised and he pulled his arms up to pull on his hair.

"I was just a _toy_? I was just a _prop_? You never even felt one ounce of compassion or love for me? What about all those nights we stayed up to watch the stars? All the times you let me sleep in your bed? All those times we shared our thoughts, our feelings? We understood each other. We laughed together. We cried together. We were there for each other. And you… you're just going to throw that away? For what? For that?!" He pointed to the fallen Fighters in the ditch.

"Does _that_ make you happy?!" Trunks's eyes were wild. His teeth clenched tightly and he doubled over, as if in pain, and continued pulling at his purple roots. His body was still shaking violently. Emotions swelled in his chest, turning into hot heat. The heat swirled through his body, gracing each and every blood cell, and rose upward. The heat erupted from his mouth in a scream, making Trunks throw his head back and pull his arms down. The head exploded from his every fiber, surrounding him with energy.

Majunior smiled, watching the younger hybrid transcend into Super Saiyan. The thrill didn't last long. His eyelids drooped sadly and his smile faded, turning into a melancholy frown. His heart ached and heat pushed behind his eyes, threatening tears. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he fought, the tears refused to stay back. They pooled in his eyes. He tilted his head down, trying to blink the tears away, but they fell still and darkened the sun bleached pavement.

The heat didn't let up on Trunks's chest. The adrenaline did suicides in his limbs. He suddenly had the urge to _break something_. The scream faded and Trunks regained control over his body. His head fell forward again, letting him open his eyes and look straight ahead.

Majunior was gone. Trunks breathed heavily. He could feel the power. He could feel the invincibility. He could feel the control.

He let his teal eyes drop to the pavement. But at what price? His breath hitched in his throat.

Three small teardrops stained the concrete.

-

Pan paced around the living room. She stroked her teddy bear's head nervously. Occasionally she would stop and sway her hips to inaudible music. Chichi looked up from her husband's strained face.

"He seems stable for now. Sleeping like a baby, yep," Mirai Bulma smiled and shook the antidote bottle triumphantly. Chichi sighed, placed a hand over her heart, and glanced over to her future granddaughter. "What's the matter, Panny?"

It took a moment for the words to register in her brain. She looked up absent-mindedly, "Huh…?" Chichi forced a small smile and placed a warm hand on Pan's head. "Oh. It's nothing, I just feel a little bit… panicky. My daddy is out there, you know. He could be getting hurt." She bit her lip, a mirror image of her father's worried face. Chichi's smile turned warm. Mirai Bulma pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Oh, don't worry, Pan. Your daddy is one of the strongest fighters out there. I'm sure that whatever he's doing right now is the right thing. He wouldn't leave you for the world." This made the little girl smile. "Come on, I have a belated birthday present for you."

The two Son ladies left the living room quietly as not to wake the ill Saiyan. Chichi led Pan into the master bedroom and pulled a large box out of the top of the closet.

"Here you are, m'love," Chichi smiled happily as Pan ripped the festive wrapping to shreds, but was careful not to ruin the bow. She pulled the top of the box off and her eyes widened.

"Oh, wow, Gramma!" Pan grinned and took the box into the bathroom. A few moments later, she cartwheeled in, showing off her new look.

On her head was a blazing orange bandana, making her hair frame her face perfectly. Her shirt was red with yellow hems and yellow stripes at the ends of the sleeves and neckline. It stopped just above her tanned tummy, showing off her bellybutton. Her pants were blue jean capris, adorned with a black leather belt and a silver chain. Her brand new shoes were purple Converse high-tops. Her socks were red, matching her shirt, and her gloves were purple, matching her shoes.

Pan's face was ecstatic. She jumped on her young grandmother at the speed of light, kissing her and thanking her with 'Oh I love its' and 'You're the best gramma any girl could ask for'. Chichi laughed and hugged her.

"There's one more thing to complete your look," Chichi said, prying the girl off of her. She turned to her nightstand and opened the drawer. "It's very special, and you have to take good care of it." Pan nodded fervently, promising everything under the sun that she'd take good care of it, whatever it was.

Chichi pulled out a necklace. It was a small, heart-shaped silver locket dangling on a thin, diamond-crafted chain. The small designs on the front were so intricately carved that it must have taken a very skilled artist to craft it. Chichi walked slowly around Pan, handling the locket lovingly around the small girl's neck.

"This necklace has been passed down in our family for hundreds of years," she explained. "It's a symbol of love and loyalty, a common trait that has also been passed down in our family," Chichi hooked the clasp and pulled Pan's shoulder-length hair out from under it. She smiled, "A perfect fit."

Pan was mesmerized by the locket's intricate beauty. It sparkled like a star in the sky and stood out prominently from her new shirt. She carefully popped the locket open.

"It's Daddy," she whispered. The tiny picture in the ornament was, indeed, a picture of Gohan Son. He was younger, maybe about four or five. He held up an orange sphere with pride, as if he'd just caught the prize-winning fish.

"Yes," Chichi smiled fondly. She absent-mindedly stroked Pan's silken hair. Pan looked closer at the opposite face of the locket. The words there were clearly visible, but just as carefully and beautifully drawn as the design on the outside was.

"_Never to Part_," she read softly. Chichi smiled and kissed the top of her granddaughter's head.

"Mom?" a boyish voice called from the living room. A door was slammed shut. Chichi gasped and flew to her feet.

"Gohan!" She ran into the living room to find Gohan kneeling by his father's resting place.

"How is he?" He asked and stroked the man's cheek carefully. Pan entered and watched silently, still holding the locket open. Gohan's eyes moved smoothly from head-to-toe of Goku's body with utmost compassion. Chichi hugged him tightly, but he didn't take his eyes away.

"Oh, Gohan, he's fine! He's healthy; alive and well," Mirai Bulma said. Chichi smiled as she squeezed her ten-year-old. Gohan smiled and hugged his mother back.

"That's good to know. I took Bulma and Trunks back to Capsule Corp." Chichi tilted her head.

"Trunks?"

"Yeah, Bulma's newborn son. He's also that purple haired guy from the future- Mirai." Chichi looked at Mirai Bulma incredulously. The older woman just smiled.

"Well, having a son is a pleasure." Chichi released him and looked over to Pan. "Panny, don't you want to come and welcome Gohan back home?"

Pan snapped out of her trance. "Oh, hi, Gohan." Gohan frowned and strode over to the young girl. She looked up at him with big, blank eyes. He inclined his head.

"Pan? Are you okay?" Gohan cocked an eyebrow. Pan shook her head, as if erasing her thoughts. She clutched Dexter closer to her chest. Gohan smiled. "I see Mom gave you your birthday present. They look good on you." He eyed the locket. Pan forced a smile.

"They fit perfectly," she replied stiffly. Gohan bit his lip, moving slowly to hug her. Pan tensed, but allowed it. As soon as his skin touched hers, she flinched away as if she were scorched by fire. Gohan's eyes widened.

"Pan? What's wrong?!" he demanded, panicking. Pan's eyes were as wide as saucers, her pupils dilating to the size of softballs. Gohan grabbed her shoulders and shook her, but she ripped away and stumbled back.

"No," she whimpered softly, forcing her eyes to close. "No, no… Stop, Dexter. Don't say that. He wouldn't do that."

Chichi and Mirai Bulma rushed over. "Pan, sweetie, are you alright? Who is Dexter?" The blue haired genius tried to take Pan's arm, but the little girl would have none of it.

"My bear…" she wiggled the stuffed animal and pressed her back against the wall. "Shut _up _Dexter… Daddy's not like that…"

The door flew open, revealing a glowing man. He leaned against the doorway, showing the rest of the Z Fighters. Mirai Bulma's mouth fell open.

"Trunks… you're a Super Saiyan…"

"Yes, but we lost someone…" Gohan and Chichi snapped their heads in the hybrid's direction. Pan slid to the floor and curled up.

"Who?! Who died, Trunks?" Gohan demanded. Trunks's lips drew into a thin line.

"No one died. But someone did leave us."

"Daddy teamed up with the androids," Pan choked. All heads turned to her. She was hugging the teddy to her body as close as she could and was rocking back and forth.

"Wh… why?!" Chichi's eyes filled with tears. Trunks drew in a long, thin breath.

"Because he's unstable."

"What do you mean 'unstable'?" Mirai Bulma's blood ran cold. Could it possibly mean…?

"He destroyed his mood controller. His mania stole him away."

Chichi's sobs broke the silence. Gohan's eyes were confused.

"Mood controller…?" Gohan looked up at his mother. She couldn't meet his eyes.

"When you turned seventeen in my timeline, Gohan, you went insane. You developed Bipolar disorder," Mirai Bulma explained. Gohan knew what this meant. It meant he had irrationally, erratically composed mood swings. It meant he would feel improperly afraid or calm. It meant he would have hallucinations or hear voices.

He looked down at Pan.

"Mental illness is often genetic," she added softly. Chichi bent down and hugged the young hybrid once more. Pan stood from her place on the wooden floor and slipped toward the front door.

"Pan… where are you going?" Trunks asked and placed a hand on Pan's shoulder. She flinched away at his touch.

"I'm going to save my daddy."

Chichi held her son tighter, watching him through her watery eyes. He leaned forward slightly, watching Pan walk out to the front yard.

"No, Gohan, stay. I can't lose you," she whimpered. Gohan shook his head negatively and pushed forward more, nearly taking his mother with him. Pan stopped in the middle of the lawn and looked up at the sky.

"I have to go, Mom. I have to protect her." Chichi choked back a sob, new tears streaming down her cheeks. With a small explosion sound, Pan was off into the sky hastily. Gohan broke from his mother's hold and pushed through the door, leaving his mother to scream in despair. He took off just as dramatically as his future daughter.

"Follow them," Mirai Bulma looked up at her son. He nodded. The two awkwardly stared at one another. Trunks's lips twitched, but whatever he was going to say died on his lips. Without another word, he turned on his heel and followed the younger super-powered children into the sky.

"I love you. Be safe," Mirai Bulma whispered.

-

Gohan could see Pan just ahead. Jeez, she really was faster. They had to have been breaking the sound barrier _at least_. For a moment, Gohan doubted if he could catch up. The thought was discarded as soon as it appeared and he propelled himself harder, slicing the atmosphere.

"Pan!" he called, but it was no use. His voice was left in the dust, falling back about two hundred miles behind as soon as they left his mouth. He straightened his body even more, tilting his head down to cut the atmosphere more smoothly. He closed his eyes and used his senses to follow Pan's energy. She must have sensed him coming.

Pan turned her head- albeit with some difficulty- to acknowledge the half-Saiyan. Turning onto his back and flying underneath Pan, he pushed himself ahead of her until he could open his eyes and see into hers directly.

"Pan!" He yelled above the roaring winds. His voice fell right to her ears. She attempted to reply, but the situation made it impossible. Gohan continued, "Pan, you need to turn back. If you go near those androids, they'll kill you. I'll take you back home, Pan. Everything will be okay." Pan glared, but it was cut short.

She suddenly tilted her torso upward, making her ride the atmosphere higher into the sky. Gohan cocked an eyebrow, watching her fall behind. He tilted his head up to see in front of him.

Oh. That's why. Gohan jutted his elbow in front and used his other arm to shield his face and head. Flying at the speed of sound, he propelled himself through hundreds of miles of solid mountain. He exploded from the other side, covered with dust and rock. His arm was covered with scratches, but they were merely surface wounds. He hadn't slowed down a bit.

Pan decreased her mach in order to steer herself back down to her young father. Gohan grinned, noting her shocked face.

"I'm strong," he said. Pan's expression became defensive and she circled around him to fly underneath him and slightly ahead. Her voice fell to his ears.

"I'm fast." Gohan smirked and circled her.

"Speed is nothing without strength to reinforce it." Pan circled.

"Strength is nothing without speed to strengthen it." The little dance continued with Gohan circling underneath.

"So, what will you do," defying the winds, his hands flew up around her waist and he pulled her down to him, "when your enemy catches you?" Pan struggled without prevail. Gohan smiled lightly and he slowed to a stop. Pan stopped struggling and went limp in his arms.

"…I'll die," Pan whispered. Gohan hugged her. "But I can't just _not_ help him. All my life he was always there for me, no matter what. He was there when I was born. If he wasn't there, I would have died. He was there when the androids blew my leg up. If he wasn't I would have died. He was there all those nights I cried to him about Mommy.

It's time that I save Daddy. If I'm not there, he will die."

"I can't let you get to your dad…" Pan flinched away, trying to release herself from Gohan's grasp, but it was a deadlock. Gohan growled frustratedly, "Wait, lemme finish. I was going to say, 'I can't let you get to your dad… without me'." He smirked.

Pan smiled, "Good, because we're here." She pointed down to the city streets where the two slender androids were enjoying themselves by blowing buildings up. Majunior sat away from the three monsters quietly.

"Daddy…" Pan mumbled and fingered her locket. The tables were turned.

TBC…

-1- Despite his general personality that we see in the series, Mirai Trunks tends to get quite Vegeta-ish in combat. In the first battle we see (with Freeza) that includes M. Trunks, he's insanely cocky. He also shows quite a bit of temper (fighting Cell). Man, I love this boy.

-2- -stifles laugh- I know serious moment is serious, but whenever I see this scene I remember a music video of Vegeta and 18 fighting to the song, "Smack My Bitch Up" by The Prodigy (I think?). I don't know if I can find it anymore. I also don't know if I can take this moment seriously anymore. It's like watching Saiyaman. You just _can't_ watch without laughing. "Smack My Bitch Up" should be Veggie's theme song.

Geez. Here I am talking about theme songs. Well, as long as I'm on the subject, "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi is perfect for Gohan. Lovin' it. –dance-

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button and type away!

-don darko.


	8. I Am Losing Sight Again

Impasse

Coolio, character heights and weights! (Bear with me, I'm American and therefore go by the English system, not the Metric system):

Majunior- 5'11" (71 in) 232 lb

Trunks- 5'9" (69 in) 226 lb

Pan- 3'6" (42 in) 50 lb

Gohan- 4'10" (58 in) 137 lb

Goku- 6'0" (72 in) 230 lb

17 & 18- 5'8" (68 in) 150 lb

16- 7'10" (94 in) 421 lb

What muscley guys! (And Pan!) That muscle mass has to account for something in their weights. And 16… well, he's a gigantic robot. Pan's so tiny! (She's still overweight for her age and height, but hey… that's the Saiyan muscle mass! It only makes sense.)

These heights and weights are not official (except for Goku's. It's pretty close.) They were made by me using logic and what I see in the manga and TV series. ;D

As for 17 and 18; they are, in fact, twins. Dr. Gero modeled them of a real human base, so they do have a lighter mass than you would think for two life-sized toasters. 16, however, was not based off a real human base (as far as my knowledge goes). He's all metal and, therefore, a helluva lot heavier.

-

Majunior trailed behind the two slender androids in the sky. They hadn't said a word since they left the highway.

Majunior's heart panged.

_Oh, Trunks…_

The mutant human swallowed his emotions back down, but they only threatened to come back up in the form of gooey bile when he recalled Trunks's heartbroken face.

'I did the right thing, didn't I?' Majunior thought to himself. Trunks was already so tough- tougher than an eighteen year old boy should be. He'd lost his father, his friends, and his own free will to the very doomed future they were trying to save. Trunks had seen it all. Nothing else would have transformed him; not even the death of his own mother. He'd already lost so much. What's one more life?

But Majunior had done it. He'd pushed the younger hybrid over the edge; pushed him into that endless tap of ultimate energy.

But Majunior was not proud.

_Don't worry, Gohan, he doesn't hate you,_ the small genderless voice cooed. _He's just mad because you joined the androids. He'll be okay._

'No he won't,' Majunior replied. He inhaled deeply and looked back ahead to the very monsters that destroyed his life. 16 soared silently beside him. The bigger android wasn't so bad. He was quiet for the most part and found no pleasure in doing harm unto others. Maybe, perhaps, if Majunior and the bigger android met under different circumstances… maybe they would have been friends.

'I scarred Trunks for life. How will he ever be able to look at me in the light as his big brother again?' Majunior's heart panged once more.

_How could you do that to him?! That was NOT a reasonable way to handle him! He's like a peach, so soft and sweet…or maybe a rose! A delicate rose, but he has his thorns…_ the shrill woman's voice babbled on, comparing Trunks to various fruits and flowers. Majunior sighed. 16 glanced over, but it was inconspicuous and short.

"Hey, lookie there," 17 said coolly and pointed out a convenience van. Majunior's eye twitched.

"You want to ride around in _that_?" He asked. 17 just looked back at him and gave him a mischievous smile.

"All the more to be frightened."

"Let's just paint, 'FREE CANDY' on the side and gather some children around," Majunior replied sarcastically. 17's eyes glinted with excitement.

"Ooh, I like you."

Majunior shuddered. 18 smiled.

"I knew you'd come to like him. I could read his personality; once you get him going, he could be the perfect playmate for you. Just as devious and destructive as a two-year-old."

This made 17 wiggle with joy.

The convenience van was parked in front of a gas pump. A portly man was busy pumping fuel into it, all the while laughing and joking around with the two rednecks that ran the place. The four notorious beings landed softly on the other side.

"What should we call you, if you're not Gohan?" 17 asked quietly. 18 pressed her face against the driver's side window to inspect the contents.

"Majunior," he replied. 17 grinned mischievously.

"How mysterious… mind if I call you Mage?"

"If it makes you happy," Majunior's lips twitched and he smiled. "Mind if I call you Sev?"

"If it makes you happy," 17 grinned wickedly. -1- -2-

"Hey! What'chu punks doin' 'round there?" The portly man shouted after he paid for the gas. Majunior turned his head and stared down at him. -3-

"We're going to take this van. Is that alright?" 17 said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Hell naw, boy! You crazy 'r sumthin'?"

Majunior's eye twitched.

"Cuz I ain't gon' take no bullshit from no nut! Get on outta here!" -4-

Majunior bit his lip. It bled without him even noticing.

"Bah, ya'll get back to the funny farm over yonder! This place ain't for no-"

The guy didn't even get to finish his sentence before he found himself flying across the red earth and crash-landing into the front door of the convenience store. The two men he'd been joking with earlier pulled out their rifles and stood up.

"N-now… we don't want no trouble. You all just… just get on. We don't want'cha," a tall, skinny young man said after adjusting his cowboy hat. 17 turned to his sister.

"How's about it, 18?" he smirked. 18 returned it. They held up their hands simultaneously, pointing their palms at the two men with rifles.

The explosion was huge, thanks to the gas tanks, but the androids and Majunior drove away without a single burn. 17 and 18 sat up front, listening to various radio stations, while Majunior and 16 sat in the back.

"Hey, Mage, what's the nearest city? I want to blow something else up. That was fun," 17 looked into the back. 18 growled.

"You idiot, watch the road!"

"Aw come on, 18."

Majunior tried to draw a little map in his head as the two slender androids bickered. If they were in South City when he left Trunks, then that meant Master Roshi's island was close. He didn't want to steer them in that direction. The Son House and Capsule Corp were thousands of miles away, so he didn't have to worry about the Z Fighters getting involved just yet. So, where was the closest place- besides Roshi's- that the androids could concentrate on?

"Pepper City," Majunior answered finally, interrupting a pointless argument that had nothing to do with the question at hand.

"Alright then! Pepper City, here we come!" 17 stepped on the gas, easily forcing the overweighed machine to eighty miles per hour. It groaned and sputtered, but 17 wouldn't give it a break. Majunior looked up at 16, who was staring blankly back down at him.

"Hey, 16, why aren't you as bloodthirsty as those two?" he mumbled. The two androids up front couldn't hear them anyway; 18 had turned the music up far too loud. It was amazing the van's speakers didn't blow.

"I feel no need to cause unnecessary harm to those around me," 16 replied. His eyes never moved.

"But you want to kill Goku," Majunior stated.

"No. I was simply programmed to carry out Dr. Gero's wishes. After Goku has been killed, my mission will be complete."

"But… you're contradicting yourself. You said you don't feel the need to cause unnecessary harm to others, but if you kill Goku, his friends and family will be harmed as well."

16 was quiet.

"If you really don't want to cause harm to others, you shouldn't carry out Dr. Gero's wishes. He was a terrible man who had a beef with Goku when Goku was only twelve years old. -5- Dr. Gero's ideas were only harmful to others. He hurt them, he even killed them. That's all he lived for."

16 bowed his head.

"But you don't want to hurt them, so you shouldn't have to. You have your own free will, I've seen it. Even though 17 and 18 were hurting my friends, you didn't join in."

"Neither did you," 16 countered. It was Majunior's turn to be quiet and bow his head.

"And I hate myself for it."

16 raised his head again, but a small smile was playing on his mechanical lips. "But you're a good guy, aren't you?" Majunior looked up and met his eyes.

"I think that the terms, 'Good guy' and, 'Bad guy' are irrelevant. It's a person's views that matter. For example, when a cat kills a rodent, that cat is not the bad guy, though the mouse may thing she is because she is killing him. The cat may need the mouse for food or just something to play with. The cat doesn't know she's hurting the mouse."

"Then Dr. Gero is not a 'Bad guy'."

"No, Dr. Gero knew he was hurting others, and he enjoyed the sadism of it. He lived to hurt others. He wanted others to suffer. He created you, 17, and 18 to carry out his wishes, but," Majunior smiled softly as he stared into 16's lifeless blue eyes, "you don't have to be that way as well."

17 swerved the van and turned the music down. "Hey, look! We have some playmates!" Outside, six bikers were swerving and weaving their way around the Android Van, laughing and ridiculing them all the way. 17's sadistic smile only grew wider. He jerked the steering wheel, knocking a biker off his balance and forcing him to crash into another biker. 17 laughed as an explosion erupted in his side-view mirror.

16 looked back down at Majunior. "Are 17 and 18 'Bad guys'?"

Majunior drew his lips into a small frown. "I don't know."

After all but two of the bikers had been murdered (thanks to Sev's fun way of driving), the four reached the outskirts of Pepper City. Two police cars made their way out of the Pepper City traffic and swerved to a stop on either side of the Android Van. Four men dressed in blue stumbled out and held up their guns.

"Get out of the van, _now_!" yelled a particularly brave policeman. 17 and 18 gracefully opened their damaged car doors and stepped onto the pavement.

"Get your hands in the air!" the man motioned with his gun. 17 and 18 complied. "Now, those of you in the back, get out!" A different policeman circled around to the back of the van, holding his gun at the ready.

The van doors opened slowly.

Majunior stepped out first, staring darkly at the skinny policeman. He watched a bead of sweat roll down the man's gaunt face as he got a good look at Majunior's battle scars. Majunior's arm twitched. The policeman jumped away instinctively.

"Who else is in there?!" yelled the policeman who had spoken first. Majunior stepped out of the way and held up his hands. The van bounced a bit.

All four pairs of policemen eyes doubled in size as the enormous android stepped out of the back. The van jerked violently when 16's last leg left the van, making the front bumper crack against the pavement. 16 towered over the skinny police officer, but mimicked his comrades and pulled his hands into the air.

"O-on a count of vehicular homicide, you four are going to the b-b-big house…" a third policeman stuttered. A fourth policeman pulled out his handcuffs and cuffed 17 and 18. The third policeman cuffed Majunior, and the first walked up to 16.

He stood on his tippy-toes to reach 16's huge hands, but only succeeded in reaching his elbow. Figuring that was good enough, he tried tugging on 16's arm, but failed.

"Uh, sir, can I ask you to put your hands down?"

16 complied, but put his hands down a little too quickly and startled the four policemen around him. Shakily, the officer clicked the cuffs in place. However, it barely worked, thanks to 16's giant wrists.

"O-okay, you guys are coming downtown with us…" The first policeman said precariously and motioning for the criminals to follow him.

18 smiled and snapped her cuffs apart. The four officer's eyes bugged out for a second time. The gorgeous android continued to crumble her cuffs into dust, and then let it blow with the wind. The other three followed her example, turning their cuffs into grime.

"Holy shit! Let's get out of here, Ricky!" one police officer said as he rushed to his car. The officers scrambled to the vehicles they came from and revved the engines.

However, they never got to make it back into the city, courtesy of the kaboom-happy android, 17.

18 smiled and faced toward the city. "Let's play a game, 17," she offered. Her brother grinned excitedly.

"And what do you propose we play, 18?"

"Let's say whoever kills the most humans and gains the most points wins."

"What does the winner win?"

18 looked thoughtful. "The winner… gets to kill Goku." Majunior's shoulders stiffened.

17's eyes narrowed competitively. "You're on. Rules?"

"The rules are simple. They have to be human, no pets and no dinosaurs. Old people are ten points, adults twenty, and kids are fifty. If you kill more than two people with one shot, double points for whatever category they're in."

"Ready? Set. Go!" 17 and 18 commenced in their vicious game.

Majunior turned away and strolled over to the ruined earth. He planted himself on the hard ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest and closed his eyes, trying to drown the screams of terror out of his mind.

He didn't even notice the cautious yet rhythmic beat of little feet on the flat ground. He didn't notice the gentle, sweet smell of roses and pine. However, he did notice the tiny, warm hand that rested on the back of his head.

"Daddy," Pan whispered. Her face was close enough that her breath tickled Majunior's ear. The man's head snapped up. He met the wide, worried brown eyes of his little daughter.

"Pan!" Majunior shouted in surprise, but threw his hands over his mouth as soon as the word came out. He glanced over his shoulder at the two destructive androids, but they were far too engrossed in their game to see the easy two hundred points that was nearby. He turned back to his daughter.

"Panny…" he whispered softly and hugged the little girl. She hugged back, releasing the tears that had been building up in her heart since he left that morning. Gohan stood silently, cautiously, behind her, never leaving more than two feet of distance between himself and the little girl. Majunior smiled at him.

"Thank you for not letting her come here alone," he whispered. Gohan nodded stiffly and glanced over at the androids. "Don't worry; they're too distracted to notice you two for now. I can't allow you to stay here for long, though." Pan shook her head against her father's neck defiantly, smearing salt-watery tears all over him.

"I'm taking you home, Daddy. You need to be there with Trunks. He's really upset."

Majunior pressed his cheek against the top of her head. "I don't think Trunks really wants to see me right now, Sweetheart. We're having a fight."

"But you made him sad, Daddy. When you said all those things to him… you made him really, really sad."

Majunior's eyes widened. "Did he tell you what I said to him?" It was Pan's turn to freeze.

"Uh… n-no… someone else did."

"Who?" Who else could possibly know? Trunks wasn't the type to describe in detail, especially not around young children, and all the other Fighters had been unconscious when he left.

"Ah… Dexter," she mumbled softly, looking away. Majunior cocked an eyebrow.

"Your teddy bear?"

Pan wasn't able to respond before Gohan snatched her away. An energy blast separated the little space she and Majunior had, shielding her vision from him. When the smoke cleared, she found herself about twenty feet away. Pan ripped her arms from her young father and darted back to Majunior, but she collided with an unexpected object.

Trunks didn't look down at her. He didn't even move when she ran into him. His piercing gaze was locked directly on her father. Upon hearing the explosion, the androids turned their heads.

"Ooh. Lookie, 18! First one to kill the Goku Spawns gets five hundred points."

"How about, first one to kill the Goku Spawns and the Super Saiyan gets a thousand?"

Majunior turned his head and gave them a sharp glare. The two androids pouted. "Well, first come first serve, I guess," 17 groaned.

"Hey, if the Super Saiyan kills Mage, then we can have him!" 18 exclaimed. This cheered 17 up instantly.

"You keep your backstabbing hands off Pan," Trunks growled. His flaming aura intensified, as if trying to emphasize his warning.

"She's my daughter," Majunior replied without malice. He glanced over Trunks's glowing shoulder nervously to check and see if said girl was alright.

"No, she was my Gohan's daughter. You're just The Gold Fighter," the glowing warrior reasoned darkly. Majunior's cheek twitched. "You haven't changed at all. I thought that after all that horror shit, you'd become a different person. It seems that you're just as hungry for havoc and mayhem as you were back then," he pointed to the burning city with his eyes.

"You don't understand, Trunks…" Majunior tried, but his patience was wearing thin.

"No, _you_ don't understand. You're an adult, Gohan. You used to be happy. You used to have everything you needed. But you're just a… a… wild, foolish, extremely idiotic…" Trunks's voice strained. Majunior tilted his head down, but didn't take his eyes off the man before him.

_The man before you,_ the man said in his gentle voice. Majunior could hear his chuckle resound through the recesses of his mind.

"But you don't care," Trunks continued from his incomplete sentence. "All you care about is your own sick entertainment. I'm going to wipe you out, Gohan, because I don't need you either."

Majunior's heart panged, but he refused to feel self-pity. He'd done much worse to Trunks. 'I wish there was some other wa…'

His thought was cut short by a hard fist in his face. He heard Pan scream. He heard the winds rushing as he flew through the air. He heard the bone-crunching sound of his body colliding with the van he'd traveled in with the gentle android 16 and the two not-so-gentle androids 17 and 18.

He composed himself quickly and moved before Trunks's second attack could impact. Majunior began losing himself in the adrenaline of combat. He could feel his arms and legs moving without his consent and the rock-hard blows of his fists against Trunks's body, and vice-versa. He could hear everything. Trunks's heavy, even breathing. Gohan's struggle for words as the young boy was struggling to snap himself out of his entrancement. Pan's cries for them to stop fighting.

What? They were fighting? Majunior didn't know anymore. His vision had blurred and darkened, as if a blanket had been thrown over his eyes. Though he felt the sharp stabs of Trunks's sword on his skin, he didn't feel the pain. He could hear his own flesh tearing. He could feel his heart pumping blood through the wounds.

Then, he felt nothing, as if he were asleep. The sounds were distant; far-off and blurry. Almost unrecognizable. He felt himself heat up as he transformed. The fire was invisible to him, however. He felt the new energy plunge him deeper into his subconsciousness. He felt The Gold Fighter take him over once more.

-

Pan's heart throbbed as she watched two of her favorite people kill each other. Trunks was faster than ever before, moving his body in ways Pan never thought possible of the man.

"Gohan, we have to stop them!" Pan cried. Gohan hugged her around the shoulders, but didn't meet her eyes. His concentration was on the two monstrous robots on the other side of the battlefield, ready to take Pan away at a moment's notice.

"We can't Pan. You can't get in the middle. I can't let go of you. There's so much danger around us, don't you see it?"

But Pan's mind was solely on the fact that there was unnecessary conflict. Everything was so simple. So what if Daddy said bad things to Trunks? It helped him transform him, right? Why couldn't Trunks see that's all it was for?

_They won't make up, Pan. They're too complex,_ a soft voice whispered. Pan shook her head, but didn't reply. Daddy looked scared when she told him Dexter talked to her. _But don't worry. All you need to do is run. Run away, as fast as you can. Fly to the moon, Panny. Come to me,_ it cooed. Pan's eyes began to water.

"I can't run away. Daddy needs me."

"I know, Pan, but we can't get into the fight. You'll get hurt. You may even get killed."

_If you're killed, it'll be okay. You'll get to meet me._

"Trunks and your daddy are grown-ups, Pan. They can take care of themselves."

_Translation: They don't need you, Panny. But I need you._

"You know your dad. He wouldn't let this get so out of hand as to let danger come to you, as long as you stay out of the way."

_I know him too, Pan. He won't stop. He's crazy. He'll keep going until you stop him. Only then will he discontinue his actions._

"He loves you."

_He loves you._

"That's why you need to stay away."

_That's why you need to help him._

"He'd want you to keep yourself safe."

_He'd want you to stop him._

"If you intrude, you'll die."

_If you intrude, not only will you stop him form hurting Trunks, but you'll get to meet me, too._

Pan screamed. She dropped to her knees and held her head. "Shut up shut up shut up!" she shouted. She rocked herself back and forth, repeating herself over and over. Gohan, eyes wide with panic, dropped down next to her and held her to his chest.

"Pan, what's wrong?!" he inquired hastily. Pan shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I can't stop him," she cried. "He won't stop. He won't stop until I make him." Gohan held her tighter.

"Your dad will stop, I promise. He can't keep going forever, and he would never hurt Tru-"

"No! Dexter… he won't stop until I make him." Gohan tilted her chin up and looked into her watery, blood-shot eyes.

"How do _we_ stop him?"

Pan swallowed the mucus that had gathered behind her tongue. "We have to meet him." Gohan tilted his head slightly. Pan clarified, "We have to die."

Trunks's sword plowing into the rock-hard ground two inches from Pan's head kept the half-Saiyan from replying.

-

'Damn, he's fast,' Trunks thought to himself as he blocked another side-swipe. He drove his sword deeper into Majunior's shoulder, but thanks to his Super Saiyan bone, the sword was unable to penetrate to the other side.

What a pity.

Trunks pulled his sword out and spun around to dodge a left hook. He gripped the hilt expertly and swiped Majunior's calf, but the attack failed. Majunior hopped onto the blade and balanced on one foot. With his other foot, he drove his heel into the back of Trunks's head.

Stars flashed before Trunks's eyes for a split second, but the sensation went as fast as it came. -6-

'Use the sword as an extension of your arm, not as a utensil,' Trunks recalled his training. The bitter irony of it was that the very person who taught him how to handle the weapon was now fighting against it in mortal combat. Trunks stood back up. Majunior wasn't anywhere in his line of vision, but Trunks's senses told him that the dark half-Saiyan was moving quickly behind him. Trunks spun around and backhanded Majunior, however the other didn't fall. So, Trunks drove the bottom of his boot in Majunior's abdomen.

Majunior caught himself on the balls of his feet and glided across the ground. He finally slowed to a stop. The dark Super Saiyan looked up from the ground to meet Trunks's eyes.

But there were no irises for Trunks to meet. Having been put off by this, Trunks froze. The next thing he knew, the dark Super Saiyan was aiming to strike, but his movement faltered. It was Pan's scream that put him off. Taking the moment to his advantage, Trunks gripped the hilt of his sword and slung it at Majunior's neck as hard as his body would allow.

But the impact wasn't the sort of one he desired. Majunior had caught the blade with his hand, just as he had when King Cold was about to slice Trunks's head off with it. Majunior snatched the sword from Trunks's shocked hands and tossed it over his shoulder.

"You idiot! You almost hit Pan!" Trunks exclaimed before resorting to normal hand-to-hand combat. Majunior's defense faltered slightly, but it was barely noticeable.

-

Without thinking, Pan grasped the hilt of the sword and ripped it from his upright position in the ground. She broke from Gohan's shocked grasp and dashed toward the battlefield, sword at ready. It took no more than a second for Pan to reach the two half-Saiyans, but getting between them was the tricky part. She let her instincts take over her body and drove the sword between the two, halting their conflict immediately.

"P-Pan, what are you doing?" Trunks stuttered. Pan turned away from him and pointed the tip of the blade at her father. Gohan appeared half a moment later, back to back with his future daughter. He held his palms at ready, gathering the energy needed for a Masenko that would take out a Super Saiyan.

Majunior stared at the little girl with sightless eyes. Pan wasn't put off.

"Dad, if you don't stop fighting, I'll make you stop. You know that you didn't want to hurt Trunks. You knew that if there was any other way, you wouldn't have gone down the road you went down today."

Trunks turned his shocked teal eyes to Majunior's daughter. How did she know any of what was going on?

"You know that if you were able to find any other way to make Trunks transform into a Super Saiyan, you'd have jumped in it before you'd even consider this one. He doesn't understand that. He's hurting. But it's only natural.

Now I have to stop you. You can't continue to hurt Trunks, emotionally or physically," she turned the blade on herself, "and I know the perfect way to do that." Gohan's eyes widened and he spun around, but it was too late. Pan drove the sword into her abdomen without a moment's hesitation.

Majunior snapped to his senses. The Gold Fighter was depleted in the blink of an eye. What was left of his flaming golden aura disappeared into the twilit sky. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He fell to his knees and held the little girl up.

Pan's muscles spasmed with pain. A tremor racked her bones and she fell into Majunior's lap. The man panicked. All of his medical procedures went out the window. All that he could think of now was, 'She's dying, she's dying.' He pulled the sword carefully out of her abdomen and tore off his tattered white shirt. He wrapped her abdomen in it and scooped her into his arms.

"No, Panny, don't leave me… I love you, Panny… Don't go… I'll get you all better… Don't you worry…"

Pan gave a weak smile. "I love you too, Daddy…"

Majunior blasted off to Capsule Corporation with his small, traumatized daughter in arm.

-

TBC…

-1- I admit it. 17 is my favorite villain EV-AR. He's just so playful in a sadistic sort of way. Go, Sev!

-2- I'm sorry if some of you get irritated with me using "17" and "18" instead of spelling out "Seventeen" and "Eighteen". As it's against my morals to prove my reviewers wrong on account of spelling and pronunciation, their names are actually just the number. 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20. There is no "spell it out" to it. Even in the Tourney Saga when the lil' monk was writing 18's name on the billboard, he just wrote the number. And, the announcer said something along the lines of, "…and the lady with a number for a name: Number 18!" No one has pointed this out to me just yet, but just in case. –smile-

-3- I looked up Gohan's adult height. Apparently, he's like… 6'9" or something. OMGWTFBBQLOLPWNROFLcopter. Dude, you're HUGE! WAY over Goku's noted height! Well, he IS the Ox King's grandson. But in this story, I'm making him a more reasonable height.

-4- This, lovely readers, is a Southern accent. I live in the deep, deep South, and people really do talk this way. It's kind of fun.

-5- I actually have no clue how old Goku was when he fought the Red Ribbon Army. Was it right before he went to Roshi, or was it soon after?

-6- That's a move by Dark Link in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". Except, of course, Dark Link drives a steel blade into the back of Link's head. But since Majunior is unarmed, I can't copy it exactly.

WHOO! A lot of excerpts in this chapter. I love this chapter. Oh, the suspense! I bet its killing you all, eh? And only I know what's going to happen! Ufufufufu!

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is click that little "review" button at the bottom and type away!

-don darko.


	9. Fire Your Guns

Impasse

Author's Note: Whoo hoo! I just love reading those reviews. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far.

-

"P-Pan…" Gohan squeaked, still staring at the bloodstained spot where the very girl who he'd promised to keep safe stabbed herself. Trunks was frozen behind him, but he was staring up at the sky where Majunior scooped her bloody body up and blasted off. Gohan's shoulders trembled.

'How could I be so stupid, stupid, stupid?' he thought, ridiculing himself. 'You're never gonna change, Gohan. You'll never be able to save anyone, and you know it…' he longed to hear the voices that his future self heard to agree with him, to yell at him, to mock him, anything. But the only voice in his head was his own. He shut his eyes and held his head.

"No…"

"Well, 18, I think the game is still in play. How many points do you think Mage racked up for making the little brat kill _herself_?"

"I'd say he beat both of us, 17. Sorry, but we only make people run screaming."

17 pouted. "You're probably right. But there's still one kid left, and he's Goku's son, too. The other one is that mystery man. He's a Super Saiyan too, see? First one to kill one of the Saiyans wins by default…" he grinned maliciously. 18 rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please, 17, you're such a child. So easily amused."

Trunks turned his head from the bloodshed ground. His eyes were cold and dead. He clenched his fists and glared at the three androids. "Keep away from us, you monsters."

18 laughed, "Make us. We still have a game to finish." She dropped into a fighting stance. Trunks did the same, picking up the bloody blade. Gohan shook his head and turned away.

"No, leave us alone…" he barely tried. Why was he feeling this way? He hadn't felt like this since he thought his father died on Namek. Depression, lifelessness, loss of hope. The feeling of failure. It hit him like a wall of bricks. How would he ever live with himself? Gohan turned his brown eyes back to the sky. He knew how.

"Trunks, forget the fight. We need to get to Pan. I want to get there before she…" his voice strained and cracked. 16, though unnoticeably, was listening to the pain in his newfound friend's little brother. He bowed his head respectively.

"We can't just drop out of a fight, Gohan. These are the _androids_. This isn't a tournament. It's kill or be killed. Take your pick," Trunks replied to the ten-year-old coldly.

18 stepped forward, ahead of her brother. "Since you got to take out the first human, I get to take a shot at these two." 16's large hand flew in front of 18'sface, cutting her off in mid-stride.

"No. Leave them be. They are good; they do not deserve punishment."

18 glared up at him. "_What_ are you doing, 16? Are you malfunctioning?"

"No. I am fully operative. All circuits are a go. Processor performing normally."

"Save all the technological crap. You're not acting like an android, 16. They're the enemy."

"They have not caused any harm to me. I choose not to fight them. I choose to fight for them." The enormous robot stood in 18's way. Her eyes widened.

"Wha… you're betraying us?!" 18 shouted angrily. She threw a punch, but it was lost in 16 hand.

"You will not hurt these Earthlings." He squeezed her fist, crunching the metal. He turned to Trunks and Gohan. "Go. Go find your friends. They need you there." Trunks shook his head in disbelief. An android- a mechanical serial killer- was defending him? The very person he was programmed to destroy? Trunks knitted his eyebrows together in thought.

'No, he was programmed to kill Goku. But still, why is he defending me and Gohan?'

16 smiled gently. "Your big brother loves you," he said, Trunks's balance faltered. "He loves you very much. I can see it. He's a… good guy." 16's speech was discontinued, courtesy of 17. The slimmer male robot landed his heel in 16's neck, forcing him to let go of 18's wrist. 18 swooped around and energy blasted into his back, crating a nice-sized dent. 16 just continued to smile at Trunks.

"You… mutinous bag of bolts!" 17 growled angrily and swiped a fist at 16's head. The large robot broke away from his smile and ducked, grabbing 17's leg in the process. He swung the smaller robot around and let go, sending him flying. He then concentrated on 18, wrapping his gargantuan hand around her skull and slamming her against the ground.

17 screamed in frustration nearby, calling the two stunned half-Saiyan's attentions.

"Wh-what the heck is that?" Gohan mumbled, pointing in 17's direction. Trunks's eyes widened.

A giant green alien was holding 17 in a deadlock. No matter how much the super-powered prettyboy android struggled, the green monster's grip wouldn't lighten up. 17 looked like an angry kitten compared to it.

18 bounced away from 16 and glanced over her shoulder at her brother. She stopped, eyes wide.

The green monster's long, fat tail snaked around from behind grasshopper-like wings. The very end bulged and opened in the shape of a vacuum cleaner.

"You'll be very delicious, 17…" the grasshopper monster sneered. Its orange accordion beak widened sadistically.

"No! Get the hell off of me! 18, help!" he looked over at his sister frantically, but she was frozen to her spot. The green monster sucked the slim android into his tail, much in the same fashion as a snake would consume his dinner. The monster grinned and began to glow. In a flash of blinding light, it transformed before their very eyes.

The once skinny, grasshopper-like lizard that took out 17 without batting an eye was now a top heavy, masculine, more manlike creature. However, it was still green, black splotches ridding every inch of its body. It looked stronger. It looked faster. It looked… _scarier_.

"Yummy," the thing cooed in its new voice. It licked its lips playfully.

"Cell," 16 reported in his monotone voice. His eyes flashed as he read the files, "Dr. Gero's greatest creation. He was built to absorb the androids, kill all humans, and destroy the world. His main priority is to destroy Goku Son."

Cell grinned.

"Okay, Gohan. Now we'll run," Trunks whispered. He turned on his heel and blasted off, Gohan right behind him.

-

'Don't die, Panny. Please, don't leave me. Don't you leave me, too,' Majunior thought to himself as he raced toward Capsule Corp. Surely Dr. Briefs would be able to help him. He looked down at the little girl in his arms. His shirt had slowed the bleeding considerably, so worrying about her loss of blood moved down Majunior's list of worries. It was her internal organs that was right above that; what if she was hemorrhaging? He didn't doubt it. He saw the sword penetrate through to her back.

But her internal organs were still not number one on his list of worries.

Why had she done it? Did she really think that killing herself would keep her family and friends from fighting? Well, it did put an end to the battle, but would it put an end to the war? Trunks cared about Pan almost as much as Majunior did. Is he following? What did he think when he heard what she said? What did he think when he saw what she did?

But still, why had she done it? You're only truly insane when you strive to take out your own life. After all, the number one, strongest instinct a human being has is survival. Once that goes, everything goes with it. He turned his head from her pale face- a result of major blood loss.

After what seemed like an eternity, Capsule Corporation came into view. Pan lifted her tiny arm weakly and clutched at her father's blood-drenched black locks.

"I-I lo… love y-you, D-d-dad-dy…" she whispered. She turned her head slowly and kissed his bare, scarred shoulder.

"Hang on, Panny. You'll be okay, I promise." Majunior demolished the Capsule Corp roof by forcing his body through it. A nice-sized hole crumpled as the result of his emergency break-in. Bulma stood up and bounced the crying baby Trunks in her arms.

"Majunior! Are you insane?! Look what you did to the- _Oh my God!_" Bulma handed Trunks to Bunny quickly and rushed over to Pan. After a two-second inspection, she tugged Majunior by the arm.

"Come on, to the ER. She's not breathing and her pulse is barely there. We don't have long," the blue-haired bombshell said quickly. The two ran the short distance to the Emergency Room in record time. Nurses took Pan gently from Majunior's arms and placed her on a bed and pushed her through the double doors. Bulma washed her hands quickly and her nurses helped her into a surgical uniform.

"Eight-year-old one-fourth Saiyan. Female," she reported to a nurse, who scribbled down the information quickly. Bulma looked at Majunior. "What happened?"

Majunior gulped. "She tried to make me and Trunks stop fighting by stabbing herself with his sword. I pulled the sword out and clotted the wound." Bulma nodded urgently and disappeared into the Emergency Room.

-

Gohan and Trunks arrived at the Son House in a panic. Where the hell did that thing come from? Its power level couldn't be sensed, but it was obviously stronger than the androids. It was obviously way stronger than Trunks had ever imagined anyone to ever be. He gulped.

Gohan burst through the door, panting. Chichi jumped up from her husband's bedside and rushed over to him.

"Oh, Gohan! Gohan Gohan Gohan!!" she exclaimed happily and hugged the little boy tightly. "I'm so happy you're alright! How'd the fight go? Did you get Majunior back? Is he okay? Where's little Panny?"

Gohan looked up at her in distress. "Mom…" he began softly, "Pan tried to commit suicide. We need to go to CC right now to see her. I need to make sure she's okay. I need to help her. I can't let her die…" he lowered his head. "I can't let someone else down," he added softly.

Chichi was frozen. Mirai Bulma's eyes widened and she looked at her golden son. He met her eyes briefly, but then dropped his eyes to the wooden floor. "Come on," he mumbled softly. "Let's get to CC." Mirai Bulma walked up to him slowly and placed a gauche hand on his arm. The older boy flinched, but didn't pull away.

"Let's go, then," the elderly woman said in her soft, silvery voice before having a coughing fit. She doubled over, holding her abdomen with one arm and the other around her mouth to block the coughs. Trunks took on a panicked expression and awkwardly placed his hand on her back.

"Mom! Mom, are you okay?" he asked urgently. Mirai Bulma nodded quickly and stood up a little straighter, using Trunks's shoulder as leverage.

"Y-yeah, just coming down with a little cold, that's all. One of you guys," she turned to the Fighters that were scattered about the room, "please get Goku. We'll take him to CC and put him in a more sterilized room. The last thing we need is for him to get sicker because of me coughing in his breathing space…" she offered a weak smile. Piccolo nodded and took the honor of scooping his ex-rival off of the bed, covers and all. Chichi grabbed his pillbox and encapsulated it.

Mirai Bulma looked up at her son. The two exchanged an uncomfortable smile.

"Let's go."

-

'Where am I?' Pan thought. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud. She was lightheaded, like it wasn't even attached to her body. It was so easy to breathe here. The air flowed so effortlessly into her lungs. Smiling, she opened her eyes.

Was this heaven?

She pushed herself up from the ground and looked around her. She was surrounded by miles and miles of green grass. The field stretched out as far as her young eyes could see. She smiled. It was so peaceful and still here. Not even the wind blew. No noise, no troubles, no fighting. Just Pan and the grass and the sunshine.

She stood up from her spot on the warm grass and stretched. Her clothes were soft and clean, her hair silky and brushed. Her skin felt baby-smooth.

Yes, everything was perfect here.

"Pan…" a gentle voice said. Pan whirled around. The noise was so soft, Pan could barely hear it, yet it was so clear at the same time. Pan took another good look around. Nope, no one was there.

"Pan," the voice echoed itself. This time it sounded like it was coming from right behind her. She reached back and breathed a sigh of relief when something warm met her fingertips. Not letting go, she turned around.

Pan gasped.

In front of her was a once beautiful young woman. She had short, silky hair that fell down just over her ears. Her large blue eyes were gentle and loving. Her face was heart-shaped and pale, but had just enough rosy color to give her life. Her body was slim and lean; a vase-like figure. The only strange thing was on the beautiful woman was that her clothes were completely ripped up. They barely clung to her body, as if she'd just come from a bad scrap fight.

Pan looked back into the beautiful woman's eyes. "How do you know my name?"

The woman smiled gently, "Because I've been watching you very closely."

"But who are you?"

"Really? You don't recognize my voice?" The beautiful woman looked amused now. Pan thought, racking her brain for the far-off memories.

"D-Dexter…?" she whispered. The woman nodded once.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Panny…" Dexter held Pan's hands carefully.

"Where are we, Dexter?" Pan asked, staring down at the woman's tender hands. The nails were so perfect. Pan felt a little bit jealous.

"My home," Dexter replied. Pan tilted her head.

"But… there's no house here."

"I live in your happy place."

"Where did you come from?"

The woman looked hesitant. "A place… far away. But before that, I lived in the same place you used to live." Pan smiled.

"With my daddy?" she asked softly.

"I never lived with your daddy," Dexter said quietly, "But I knew him very well." Pan looked back up at Dexter's face.

"How?"

"…" The woman was silent. "You'll live with me now, won't you?"

"I can't, Daddy needs me. If I'm not there, he'll die."

"Panny, we're two of a kind. We're in the same boat, here."

"We're in a boat?" The woman chuckled. It sounded musical to Pan's little ears.

"No, sweetheart. I mean, we both experienced the same thing. We were both killed by your daddy." Pan ripped her hands away from Dexter's. Dexter's eyes widened.

"I killed myself. And, if this is my happy place, then I'm not really dead. I have to be alive to have a happy place," Pan insisted. Dexter drew her lips into a fine line, but stayed quiet. "I'm still alive."

"But you don't really want to go back," Dexter mumbled softly. Pan glared at her.

"Of course I do!"

"If you really wanted your daddy back, you would have already woken up. But alas, you haven't, dear. Not, come with me, and I'll take you to an even better place. You'll get to meet your grandfather and your grandmother!" Dexter smiled warmly. Pan backed away.

"No, they're all dead. I don't want to die. I want to go back to my daddy." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Pan, you'll get to meet your mother, too."

Pan stopped. "M-my mommy…?" Dexter nodded enthusiastically.

"Actually, I have a secret to tell you," the woman whispered and motioned for Pan to come closer. Hesitantly, Pan approached. The woman leaned down.

"…I'm your mother."

Pan's mouth was agape. She stared up at Dexter. She pointed a thin, purple-gloved finger at the woman. "You…" Dexter nodded. "Are…" She nodded again. "My…" Dexter chuckled and hugged the little girl.

"Yes, sweetie, I'm your mother." Pan broke down in tears.

"Y-y-yo-you're m-m-m-my m-momm-my…!" she sobbed. Dexter held her lovingly.

"Yes, and you're my little Panny. My sweet little girl… I've missed you for so long, Panny… eight whole years of having to live with that awful man…" her sentence ended with a slight bitterness. Pan sniffled and wiped her tears on her glove. She pulled away and looked into her mother's eyes.

"Daddy's not an awful man, Mommy… he's very nice and he takes very good care of me. I love him, and I want to be with him. I need him and he needs me. I promise I'll be here to join you, someday, but I can't, not right now…"

"But Panny, I need you, too. I've been here for years, just waiting and waiting… Please, come stay with me. This may be your only chance for years to live with your mommy."

Pan shook her head. "I need Daddy right now, Mommy. I'll always need him, and I'll always be here. But, I want you to be happy, too," Pan cupped her mother's cheeks. "Please, Mommy, go back to where you belong. Be happy with Grandpa and Gramma and all your friends. I promise I'll be there someday. Just… I love you, Mommy, and I love Daddy, too. But I don't belong in the Other World, yet. Not yet. Please, understand."

Dexter was silent. Small, crystal-clear tears pooled in her blue eyes. She nodded and hugged her little daughter. "Listen to me, Panny. I love you, too. Keep yourself safe. Listen to your Daddy. And… thank you for coming to visit me and helping me move on. I can rest in peace, now…" Dexter kissed her daughter's cheek. "I'll tell you how to get back to the Living World. Your daddy is there waiting for you to return. Just listen very closely. Close your eyes and don't open them until the time is right…"

Pan studied her mother's face once more, taking note of every little detail. She didn't want to forget her. Pan smiled and closed her eyes, finally. She listened closely, just as Dexter had instructed. It was very soft at first, but the closer she listened, she could hear it.

Her daddy's soft cries.

Pan smiled. He really did love her.

"And, tell your daddy that I said hi…"

Her mother's voice was lost in her father's cries, which were growing louder by the second. She felt a gentle, warm push on her shoulders and she fell back, but she never hit the soft grass. She continued to float downward, the warm air turning into the chilly Patient Room air. She felt herself land on the soft medical bed, snuggled up in covers. She felt hands clutching hers and wetness on her left arm.

"Oh, Panny… I'm so sorry… I never should have fought with him… I never should have endangered you… I never should have left with the androids… I never should have destroyed the defibrillator… Oh, God, Panny, please forgive me… I love you so much… Please… please, wake up… Oh, Pan…" her father cried softly at her bedside. She could hear the steady, rhythmic beep of her heart on the machine and the machine feeding oxygen into her nose. She opened her chocolatey brown eyes slowly, allowing them time to adjust to the medical room light.

She turned her head to the left to see her daddy leaning over the side of her bed and holding her hand. Her arm was soaked with his salty, warm teardrops. His shoulders shook with each racking sob and his voice cracked as if he'd been doing this for hours. She smiled gently.

"M-mommy says hi…" Pan mumbled weakly. Her voice broke from lack of use. Majunior's head shot up, eyes wide, cheeks stained with dried tears.

"P-Pan!" he exclaimed and jumped up. He hugged the little girl gently but firmly. She giggled.

"I missed you too, Daddy!" she said with tired enthusiasm. He was smiling a mile a minute.

"I love you, Pan! I'm so glad you're okay… I'm so sorry I put you through this… I-"

"Daddy, it's okay. You did what you had to do," Pan smiled, "And I love you too."

'I love you, Daddy, more than you'll ever know.'

Dexter's soft, pleasing chuckle echoed throughout Pan's mind before disappearing completely. Pan smiled as she realized something about her mother that she never thought she'd expect.

Her mother was a scared little girl, too. She'd died before she was ready, and at the hands of someone she loved.

Maybe she and her mother had something in common, after all. But there was one difference.

"I'll always love you, Daddy, no matter what."

-

TBC…

OoOoOh. It's CELL! (Yes, I'm going that far. This story is not done, yet, dearhearts.)

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. All you have to do is hit that little "Review" button and type away.

-don darko.


	10. It's Time To Run

Impasse

Author's Note: I'm so happy. Cell's finally hopped his creepy, green cricket ass on the bandwagon.

-

"Pan's a lucky little girl, Mage," Bulma said as she lit a cigarette. Majunior's nose twitched as the smell of burning nicotine filled the air. Bulma smiled sheepishly and switched the little thing to her other hand, away from the large hybrid. Chichi, Mirai Bulma, and Trunks were standing behind him, listening to the little girl's report closely. He looked back into the patient's window from the waiting room and smiled. Gohan was in the bed with her, his arm around her abdomen, and listening to her talk animatedly.

"That sword didn't hit any insanely vital organs or her spinal cord. It protruded through her left abdomen; it was mostly muscle damage. It did chop her left kidney up a good bit, so now she's down to just one. But of course, that will do her just fine.

"She'll need to walk with a crutch for a little while. Muscle heals pretty well, but since she's a Saiyan, I don't know the exact time in which she will be perfectly okay to walk on her own. For the first week, she needs to be super careful not to rip out a stitch. She could start hemorrhaging again and the whole surgery would have to start over.

"Like I said, though, she's lucky. If she were any normal eight-year-old girl, she'd have died on the spot, especially since you pulled that sword out as haphazardly as you did," Bulma glared at him lightly. "But hey, she's your kid. And you're your father's kid, whether you like it or not."

Majunior flinched. He told Bulma the whole story, starting with the night before when he'd destroyed the defibrillator, to when the group left the cliff face in search of the diabolical duo (only to find a completely different pair), and finally to his fight with her futuristic son.

"I don't understand it, though. Your dad never did a lick of harm to anyone, unless, of course, that someone was threatening you or his planet." Majunior sighed.

"I told you, Bulma, I don't hate my dad. I told the androids that so they'd think I was on their side. But, I don't _like_ my dad. He was only there for half of my life- well, the half he lived in, anyway…"

"Well, your daughter is a strong little girl. For a while, we thought we'd lost her. She wasn't responding to anything, as if she was already dead. Her heart beat was way below normal and she wasn't breathing. Certainly not alive, but not quite dead, either. Somewhere in between," Bulma gazed through the window at the little girl, too. "I wonder what was going through her mind."

-

Gohan laughed softly. Pan was jabbering away about her least favorite school teacher, Mrs. Peavy. Apparently, his future daughter was quite a troublemaker when it came to her academic classes. Even as a second-grader in elementary school, she was giving the teachers a hard time.

"Then she screamed when she found it in her cup! Oh, you should'a seen her face, Gohan, you would have laughed _so_ hard…" Pan giggled, but the sound was cut short with a sharp pain in her stomach. She flinched, her muscles spasming for a split second, but with a little pressure, Gohan's hand made the pain disappear. He smiled.

"How do you do that?" she asked weakly and looked up at him.

"It's just a little trick Dende taught me before he had to go back to New Namek. If I concentrate real hard, I can actually take the pain away. I can't _heal_ it like he can, though."

"Where does the pain go?" she asked. Gohan hesitated.

"Er, well… I take it."

"You mean… you can feel my pain?"

"Yeah. I call it 'Empathy'. Pretty cool, huh?" he smiled, but it faded when she didn't smile back. -1-

"No! It's not cool! You can feel what I feel. That's not a good thing…" she fingered her stitched wound carefully. It twitched sharply, but Gohan pressed his palm against it and the pain flitted away once again. He merely smiled.

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt me. Er, well, it does kinda hurt, but I'm really strong, remember? It just kind of feels like someone pushing on my stomach. That's all."

Pan pouted. He laughed and hugged her gently, making sure he didn't press too hard against her wound. She giggled softly along with him and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. She fixed her gaze on his pale skin. It was so much different from her daddy's. Gohan's skin was much smoother, whiter, and softer where Majunior's was rough and scarred with years of battle and mayhem. Yet, somehow, it seemed that no matter what age her father was, he still handled her the same. Both hybrids held her like a precious, porcelain China doll. They both put forth enough effort to be gentle enough not to hurt her, but still just possessive enough to keep her all to themselves. Pan was sure that as long as Gohan was laying here next to her, no matter who climbed into her bed as well, he would be the only one who would have complete access to her warmth and softness. The other occupant would have to live with simply pressing against her back.

But Pan was okay with that.

"What was it like?" Gohan mumbled softly. Pan looked up curiously. Their faces were so close; she could feel his warm breath tickle her cheek.

"What was what like?"

"Dying."

Pan thought. "It wasn't so bad. It was really relaxing, once I got past all the pain. I even saw Mommy up there."

"You saw her? Really?"

"Yeah, she said was with me the whole time. She lived in my teddy bear." Gohan blinked.

"Dexter?" Pan nodded.

"Mm-hmm. But I talked to her and made her feel better, so now she can rest in peace."

"So, no more voices?"

"No more voices!" Pan smiled happily. Gohan smiled back.

-

Mirai Bulma coughed into the bend of her elbow sickly, but recovered. She met Majunior's worried gaze and smiled.

"Don't worry, just a cold, just a cold," she assured.

"Maybe you should get yourself checked out while Bulma's still in a doctor-ish mood, Ma," Majunior mumbled. Mirai Bulma shook her head negatively.

"It's fine. I don't need a silly check up, now come here," she hooked her fingers around the back of Majunior's head and pulled him down to her level. "Now, bend over so I can see the damage…" she pushed his black locks out of the way and wrinkled her nose. "Jesus, Gohan, you need a haircut…" Majunior smiled softly.

"I liked his hair long, actually," Chichi smiled at her older son. He didn't meet her eyes. "But, why'd you cut it? Is it easier to fight with?"

"That, and… after my face matured a bit… I thought I began to look like Radditz. I know I could kill him with my pinky finger by now, but just thinking of him scares me."

"Traumatized," Mirai Bulma mumbled absent mindedly. "This is going to hurt. Bite down on something." Majunior bit the nearby couch pillow and she cut into the back of his head.

"Gah, that makes my skin crawl just watching. You don't numb him first?" Bulma asked. Chichi cringed away. Trunks stared at the floor, silently.

"Nah, Gohan's built like a tank. This is just a pinch to him," Mirai Bulma furrowed her eyebrows. "God dammit, Gohan," she growled frustratedly and popped him on the shoulder blade. "You really did completely destroy it. I was hoping you would have just shorted it out or hit the emergency off switch, but nooo… you cut it up completely. I'm surprised it didn't start shocking you." Swiftly, she flipped out a scalpel and popped the torn little machine into her palm. It was no bigger than her thumbnail.

Sure enough, the defibrillator had gone from what once was a nice little perfect square to an accordion. Mirai Bulma sighed sadly.

"It will take months to develop another one. Until then, you'll have to take on the wonderful life of a pill popper," she mumbled angrily and threw him some medical supplies. "Bandage yourself up. I'll go get some lithium carbonate pills." She nodded at her younger counterpart, who nodded sheepishly and led Mirai Bulma into the pharmacy room.

Chichi smiled and kissed her older son's temple before following the two other ladies.

Majunior glanced over at Trunks, who was still fixed on the tiled floor, and cleaned the wound Mirai Bulma had inflicted upon him. The little hole that the defibrillator had dug for itself felt cold and empty now that it was removed from his body. He flinched as he pressed the alcohol rag to his wound, but refused to make a sound in front of the other hybrid.

"Is what Pan said true?" the silent Prince asked. Majunior looked up in shock.

"So he speaks," Majunior replied darkly. Trunks looked up and glared.

"Like you've been any better," Trunks mumbled. Majunior smiled softly.

"Well, even if what Pan said was true, would it make a difference?"

"…" Trunks looked back down at the floor. "That one big android… he protected us, Gohan and me." Majunior nodded.

"16 is a good guy. He's not like 17 and 18."

Trunks scoffed. "Yeah, he's really not like 17 now…" Majunior looked up.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Some other monster… it ate 17, it sucked him right through its tail… 16 called it 'Cell'." Majunior doctored his wound absent mindedly.

"Another monster ate the reasons we came here. That's lovely."

"Well, just 17. I think 18 and 16 got away before Cell could get to them, but I was too busy trying to save my own ass."

"Good…" he mumbled. Trunks looked up and watched his ex-friend's face as the man wrapped gauze tightly around the non adhesive medical bandage. Majunior ripped the gauze with his teeth and tore off a strip of medical tape to tie it all together.

"So, is it true?" Trunks asked again. Majunior met eyes with him.

"Believe what you want to."

-

Bulma leaned against the counter top as she watched her older counterpart sort through different medications. "So, this is all because Chichi died, right?" Mirai Bulma nodded and looked up briefly.

"The doctors tried everything they could to save her, but she'd lost so much blood and had major head trauma."

"Wow, how'd I do it?" Chichi asked softly. Mirai Bulma cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, it was rainy, and you and Gohan were fighting. Then the semi came out of nowhere, so…"

"Wait, what semi? I committed suicide via semi truck?" Mirai Bulma shook her head.

"Wait. What? Suicide?" Chichi nodded.

"Goku told me that Mage told him that I'd committed suicide in the future timeline," Chichi tilted her head, confused. Mirai Bulma shook hers negatively.

"No, no. Now, why would he say that? You'd gotten in an awful car wreck. It was very late at night and you were driving to Capsule Corp. You were a few blocks away, actually, when it happened. You and Go- er, Mage were arguing about something or another, you ran a stop light, and an oncoming truck hit you dead in the driver's side. Gohan was so devastated. He insisted that it was his entire fault, even though it really wasn't.

"The impact was hard enough to knock him out for a few minutes, but after he'd regained consciousness, you were already gone. The poor boy pulled you out of the car and carried you the rest of the way to Capsule Corp, but it was far too late to save your life. I cleaned him up a good bit, but he didn't go without any scars. The one on his face- the one that goes under his eye- that's his reminder of your death. I tried to make him stay the night, but he was gone the next morning, and we didn't get to see him again until after all those awful things he'd done."

Chichi looked down at her shoes. "Well, that's just like Gohan, blaming himself for things that he didn't do. He's his own scapegoat."

Mirai Bulma nodded and held up the appropriate bottle of little pills. "This medicine isn't as strong as the medicine that used to be fed directly into his system, so he'll have to keep it with him at all times and take a pill regularly…" Bulma shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't quite prepared for this, so we don't have a huge supply of mood stabilizers…"

"No, it's okay," Mirai Bulma offered a warm smile. "It's enough. Thank you."

The three women walked back into the lobby where Majunior and Trunks were waiting patiently.

"Here, kiddo," Mirai Bulma tossed the bottle to the dark hybrid. He caught them without lifting his eyes from Trunks's. "Those are your drugs. You'll have to take a pill every two hours or so to keep your moods stabilized. Saiyan mentality and all that," she reported to him. Majunior broke away from the mini staring contest and thanked Mirai Bulma with a soft 'thanks'. He popped the bottle open and tossed a small two-colored capsule into his mouth.

Mirai Bulma looked over to her son. He was staring at the floor again, his fingers tangled in his hair. She knitted her eyebrows together.

"Trunks, what's wro-" she broke off into another coughing fit. She bent over, holding her abdomen again as she choked. Bulma and Majunior rushed to her side. Trunks looked up quickly; what he saw caught him off guard.

Drops of red saliva were dripping from his mother's lips as she struggled for air. Her face was pale and sweaty. Her brilliant blue eyes met his for a brief moment before she collapsed in the small pool of blood.

-

Bulma chewed her pen cap worriedly. She scanned over the notes over and over again. It couldn't be- at Mirai Bulma's age, this sickness would kill her. Bulma sighed and looked up at her counterpart's worried son. His matching cyan orbs met hers in a flash. His eyes were lined with darkness: a sign of lack of sleep. It _was_ four in the morning, after all. The diagnosis and the treatment had taken hours. Just getting the elderly woman stable enough for treatment in the first place took long enough. Bulma sighed and lowered her gaze. She really hated this part.

"It's tuberculosis. It's very advanced- I'm amazed she was able to hide it for this long. She's stable for now, but I'm afraid I can't do anything for her," Bulma looked up at the young man once again. In a soft, careful voice, she mumbled, "She's terminal."

Trunks's blood ran cold. That was impossible. His mother couldn't die. She was his mother. Mothers didn't die. His eyebrows knitted together.

"No… that can't be right. She was so healthy a few days ago. She couldn't have TB."

"I'm sorry, Trunks, but the tests don't lie. We've tested her over and over and each time it's been positive for TB. I know this is hard for you, but…"

"No! Do more tests. It's not TB, it can't be. She's probably just got a cold or something."

"Colds don't make you cough up blood, Trunks," Bulma placed a gentle, warm hand on his shoulder. "You can go in and see her. She's asleep, but she's stable. She may be gone by tomorrow night. You only have so much time to spend with her."

Trunks tore past her, leaving the younger version of his mother in a state of shock. She put a hand to her forehead and her shoulders shook slightly.

"That's it; I'm going to be a full scientist. No more of this doctor shit." Majunior placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him slowly. The doctor, she remembered.

"I feel your pain. I'm so sorry," he assured. She smiled and shook her head sadly, flinging small crystal tears down her cheeks.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." She turned to him and hugged him tightly. Hesitantly, he hugged her back and looked around the room.

Most of the Z Fighters had gone home. Krillen headed back to Roshi's island. Tien went back to Chaotzu in the mountains. Piccolo went to Kami's place for some reason. Chichi went back to Goku's patient room down the hall. Gohan was asleep on the couch. Surprisingly, Vegeta was standing in the corner, staring at him coldly. Majunior shook his head gently and hugged the young woman tighter. Vegeta lowered his head darkly and stood from his leaning position against the wall. He strolled over delicately to his wife and took her hand. Her head shot up quickly.

More tears filled her eyes. She broke down into sobs and fell into Vegeta's arms. He picked her up carefully and toted her down the hall, toward CC's personal quarters. Before turning the corner, he looked at the lone hybrid.

"Don't worry about him. He's strong- he grew up with you, after all," Vegeta smirked, "Besides, you have your own problems. Isn't your one-legged, one kidney'd, cuckoo-clock mutant brat in the other room? She needs you, you know."

Majunior smiled softly and turned on his heel, heading toward Pan's room. Vegeta watched him leave.

'He needs you, too,' Vegeta thought to himself, his dark voice echoing in the back of Majunior's mind.

_He needs you, too._ Majunior popped a pill in his mouth.

-

TBC…

-1- For those of you who don't know, the dictionary definition of "empathy" is: Direct identification with, understanding of, and vicarious experience of another person's situation, feelings, and motives. I thought it was a reasonable technique that matched up well with Gohan's mentality.

Oooooh~ Look at that! Vegeta's voice is one of Majunior's voices! Ufufufu. And you all thought it was Piccolo. P'shaw.

Well, more to come in future chapters. Just hit that little "review" button and type away. I whore myself for your comments. Ooh, yeah, just like that.

-don darko.


	11. Blow Me Away

Impasse

-

Majunior stared blankly up at the ceiling. He hadn't slept all night. Even his daughter's rhythmic, gentle snoring couldn't push him into the comfort of sleep.

He just couldn't do it when he knew that two loved ones were dying within fifty feet of him.

Trunks hadn't come out of his mother's room all night, either. Majunior blinked. His eyes burned- payback for letting them dry out. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head before looking over to Pan's flushed face. He smiled and tenderly traced the outline of her tan jaw. Even with such heavy sadness surrounding them, she still managed to sleep peacefully.

_Well, she doesn't know yet…_the woman mumbled inside his head. Majunior wrinkled his nose in disgust.

'Aren't the pills supposed to make you people get out of my head?'

_Oh, we aren't going anywhere for a while, Gobear,_ the little unisex child giggled. Majunior's lips curled down at the old nickname.

'No one's called me that since Mom died.'

_You mean, since you killed her?_ The woman whispered. Majunior buried his head in Pan's silky locks.

'Please, don't remind me.' Majunior closed his eyes.

_Its okay, Gobear. She doesn't hate you. No one can hate you,_ the child smiled behind his eyelids. He sighed and concentrated on it's face. The ghostly gray hair clinging to his naked body swayed gently in the nonexistent wind.

'You're getting more and more clear to my imagination. I think that's a bad sign.' He opened his eyes.

_Or maybe it's a good sign,_ the child whispered. Its voice bounced off the walls of his skull before disappearing completely.

Pan's eyes fluttered open. Majunior watched as her pupils fluctuated, adjusting to the dim light. She groaned sleepily and lifted her head from Majunior's cheek. She yawned. Majunior smiled. Only Pan had sweet smelling morning breath.

_Don't tell her just yet, Gohan, dear,_ the woman mumbled gently in his ear. Majunior agreed silently.

"'Morning, Pumpkin," Majunior whispered. Pan turned her head to him and grinned, her half-lidded eyes sparkling.

"Good morning, Daddy. Are you feeling better?"

"I should be asking you that question, kiddo. But, yes, I'm just fine. How are you feeling?"

Pan looked down at her stitched wound. Majunior's hand was covering it. She frowned.

"I know what you're doing, Dad." Majunior's eyes widened.

"...What am I doing?"

"Your Empathy thing. Gohan told me about it yesterday. I don't want you to feel my pain, so stop. I know you've been doing it all my life. Even when I get headaches… it's how they suddenly go away whenever you hug me. Its how my scrapes or bruises stop hurting when you kiss them. I know, Daddy," Pan stared at him sternly.

Majunior was silent. But before he could answer, the door creaked open and a certain dark-haired hybrid peeked in.

"Oh… did I wake you up?" Gohan asked softly. Majunior shook his head. Gohan smiled and slipped inside, letting the door close softly behind him.

"What time is it?" Majunior asked. Gohan walked over to the bed and sat in the nearby stool. He stared at the empty space next to Pan longingly.

"Nine o'clock, give or take a few minutes." Since his legs were too short to reach the cold, linoleum floor, he tucked them underneath the stool and folded his hands on top of one another. Majunior rolled his eyes and snatched the back of his younger counterpart's purple gi. He lifted the little hybrid into the air and dropped him on the other side of Pan.

"Keep your cold feet off of her. She doesn't need to catch a cold." Pan grinned and curled up between the two warm men. Well, one-and-a-half men. Gohan smiled back at her and slipped underneath the thick quilt. His hand immediately glided down her wounded side, but his muscles flinched when his fingertips met the rough hand of his counterpart. Unthinkingly, his eyes shot up and met the older and frighteningly experienced eyes of Majunior.

The older man smiled and spread his fingers. Gohan smiled back and linked his smaller fingers between them. The familiar stitches of the little girl grazed his skin and a soft pushing sensation arose on his own left side.

Pan pouted.

-

"It's mayhem here in Orange Star City, folks. The evil monster who calls himself 'Cell' is rampaging through the city. Citizens are disappearing- all that is left behind is their clothes. He's taken out half of the city already. Military forces are planning for war against the monster, so- gyaaah!"

Bulma bit her lip as she watched the reporter get eaten alive by the newest monstrosity. "Goku still isn't well enough to fight, Mirai Trunks already has too much on his shoulders to deal with, and Majunior can't fight this thing alone… Oh, God, what are we going to do?" Krillen's sigh could be heard on the other end of the phone line.

"Have you heard from Piccolo yet, Bulma?" he asked rigidly. The blue haired beauty shook her head. Remembering she was on the phone, she gave a word of negativity. Krillen sighed again. "Where did he go?"

"Well, Gohan was the last person to talk to him. Maybe he'd know."

"You should go ask him, Bulma. I'm sure he'll tell you."

"Alright, bye, Krillen." She hung up the phone and cradled her little baby to her breast. She stood from the couch and carried the little boy to the hospital wing of Capsule Corporation. Goku's room was the first one to pass. She stopped and looked in through the window on the door.

Chichi was curled up next to Earth's greatest hero. He was well enough to hold her there. Chichi had her head on his chest, listening to his healthy heart beat. A small smile graced her face as he moved his hand up to stroke her hair. Bulma smiled as well and looked away. She continued down the hall.

The next room she came to was the one that was occupied by herself- her future self, anyway. The lights were bright. Bulma peeked in the window and held back her tears.

Trunks- her future son- was standing over Mirai Bulma's sleeping body. He was mumbling incoherent curses at her; tears welled up in his angry blue eyes. Bulma watched as a few salty tears fell from his eyes on Mirai Bulma's cheek. Bulma turned away and looked down at her baby. The child met her eyes and smiled a one-toothed smile. Bulma choked back a sob and hugged little Trunks's purple-haired head to her bosom. Sensing his mother's sadness, he attempted to wrap his chubby little arms around her shoulders.

Bulma kissed the top of his head and forced a smile. "I'll always love you, Trunks. Always." Little Trunks flashed another one-toothed smile.

The blue haired genius wiped her tears away and shook her head. She continued down the hall.

The last door she came upon was the one that occupied- she hoped- Gohan. Since he wasn't on the couch earlier and he wasn't in his father's room, this was the last logical place to look. She peeked in through the window, but all she saw was a pile of people buried underneath a fluffy white quilt. Deciding it was worth a look, she pushed the door open. The metal door creaked defiantly, gaining the attention of the three aliens wrapped around each other in the bed.

Bulma smiled. Three pairs of milk chocolate eyes stared back at her. "Hey, you three. I need mini Gohan to answer a question for me." Gohan lifted his head a little higher, but didn't remove his hand from Pan's side.

"Yes, Miss Bulma?"

"Hey, kid, do you know where Piccolo went?" Gohan bit his lip.

"He went to the lookout."

"Er, why? He never goes there." Gohan grinned. Majunior looked at the little boy curiously. Why _had_ Piccolo gone to the lookout?

"To fuse with Kami, of course!" Majunior tilted his head. Gohan looked up at him, answering the older man's unasked question, "If he fuses with Kami, then he'll become way stronger! Then we can beat the other android and that green thing!"

"Cell," Bulma whispered. The two half-Saiyans looked up at her curiously.

"How do you know his name, Miss Bulma?" Gohan asked. The woman's eyes were wide, seeing an unseen memory.

"He was on the news. He's killed thousands of people in less than a day. We have to stop him, but Goku's not well enough to fight and Trunks is unable to help." Pan's eyes widened in worry.

"T-Trunks? What's wrong with him? Is he hurt? Is he sick? What's happened?" she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Majunior held her arms and forced her to stay down.

"What? Your dad hasn't told y- uh…" Bulma clamped her mouth shut and looked at Majunior. Pan and Gohan glanced over to the older man.

"Daddy… what's wrong with Trunks?" Pan demanded. Her eyes were wide with fright. Majunior sighed and looked over to Bulma. She frowned apologetically.

"It's not Trunks that's in trouble, Panny," he whispered, speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully. "…It's his mother."

-

Pan limped unsteadily on the wooden crutch. Pain erupted from her left side, but she ignored it. She had to get to Mirai Bulma's room.

"Pan, let me take you there. You're not well enough to-"

"Shut up!" Pan snapped at Gohan. Majunior drew his lips into a fine line. Bulma followed the three, lagging behind. Little Trunks cooed innocently in her arms.

Pan nearly kicked the door open. It slammed against the white wall. Her pupils shrank; a reaction to the bright lights. Trunks glanced up from his position next to his mother, shock etched into his features.

"Pan!" he whispered and stood up. Pan limped toward him and hugged his leg with one arm. Trunks swallowed his sadness and put on a mask for the little girl. She glared heatedly at him.

"Don't feed me that happy face, Trunks," she growled. His smile dropped immediately. Pan hugged his leg again and faced the bed. It was too high for her to see Mirai Bulma's sleeping face. She let go of his leg and tried to pull herself over the edge. Pain erupted in her side again, making her groan under her breath. Majunior closed the distance in two strides and bent over to pick her up, but she waved her crutch at him threateningly.

"Don't touch me," she said darkly. Trunks looked at him in shock. Majunior returned the expression.

Pan made it to the top of the bed and panted. She couldn't believe how weak she was. Just climbing into a bed wore her out. Pan's angry expression lifted into sadness as she stared down at Mirai Bulma's sickly, pale face. Abandoning her crutch, she crawled carefully over the older woman's body. She was careful not to breath in the same air bubble as the older woman and equally as careful as to not rip one of her stitches. Pan was sure the last thing the older woman wanted was little girl blood in her sterilized bed.

"Ma," Pan whispered. Tears filled her eyes. "Ma," she repeated. Mirai Bulma's lips twitched and her blue eyes opened. Pan smiled sadly. Mirai Bulma turned her head and looked for the source of the voice. "Over here, Ma," Pan whispered again. Mirai Bulma's eyes floated over to the little girl. As soon as sapphire met chocolate, a small smile graced the elder's features.

"P-Pan-nny…" Mirai Bulma whispered weakly. "How a-are you-u feel-ling, h-honey?"

Pan shook her head sadly. "I'm fine, Ma, don't worry about me. I'm great. How are you?" Mirai Bulma smiled wider, but it was interrupted with a flurry of coughs. Pan leaned back, giving the woman more air.

"Ah… I'm great, hon. Just a little cold…" Mirai Bulma's smile returned and she met Pan's eyes again. "Now, now, don't you cry. You still have the boys. I'll need you to take care of them for me when I'm gone. You know how men are- they can't take care of themselves," she spoke slowly and softly. Her voice scraped for air, leaving it with a rough tone. Pan sniffled and nodded.

"I know. I'll take care of them for you, Ma," she promised. "I'll take good care of them. It'll be like you never left." Mirai Bulma's smile never left her face, even as a crystal clear tear fell down her pale cheek.

"I know you will, honey. You're a strong young lady. You're your daddy's girl. He loves you so much, Panny- always has. Never forget it." Pan nodded, struggling to hold back her sobs. "I love you, too, sweetheart. You and me, girls stuck with two knucklehead Saiyans, right?" Pan nodded again, a few chokes breaking through. Majunior gently scooped her up and cradled her to his chest. Mirai Bulma met his eyes as well.

"You have a good little girl on your hands, Gohan. She's just like her mother. Be good to her and my son, do you hear me?" the elder woman attempted to sound threatening. Majunior's lips pulled into a tight frown and his eyes narrowed, trying to hold back the tears as well. The blue haired woman looked so small and frail, lying in that bed. She looked nothing like the strong, healthy, spunky woman who'd treated him yesterday.

"You keep taking those pills. I'm sorry I won't be able to make you another defibrillator. Maybe you'll find the blueprints for it one day…" Mirai Bulma trailed off, breaking into another fit of coughs. Majunior tilted his head down. "I'm sorry I broke it, Ma," he mumbled. She smiled and waved him off.

"Hey, no sad stuff. Just keep yourself and your family safe and healthy. You're the man of the house, Gobear," she smiled. Majunior buried his face in Pan's hair. Mirai Bulma placed a soft, warm hand on Trunks's. He looked up at her quickly.

"Be good, Trunks," Mirai Bulma stared into his eyes deeply. "Gohan loves you with all his heart. You know it deep down. But you also know he can't do things alone. You two have been together since before you were born- his energy runs through your veins. You two are attached in ways most people only dream about. Don't cut those ties, son." Trunks squeezed her hand. He remembered the story of how he was born.

_It was on March third, before the androids had come and the heart virus had devastated Majunior's family that the Sons came to visit at Capsule Corporation. Little Gohan was very excited with the baby on the way. Bulma had been having pains in her stomach- one that made her double over. Gohan touched her belly- just once, just a brush of the fingertips- and he collapsed. Vegeta had been furious. _

"_He fed energy to my son! That third-class mutant brat of Kakarott fed energy to my son!" he'd shouted. It took all of Goku's energy to keep the Saiyan prince from ripping Gohan's head clear off his shoulders._

"_He didn't know, Vegeta, you can't be angry at him," Goku had tried to reason. Apparently- as they had later learned- Saiyan fetuses use their parents' energies as food. The energy dictated how they developed mentally. Vegeta had raved about how since Gohan was a half-Saiyan like Vegeta's unborn son, the baby took to Gohan's energy faster and more willingly than his father's. Baby Trunks had fed off of all of Gohan's energy in a split second._

"_Since I'm a full Saiyan, he could barely take to my energy. He couldn't take to Bulma's energy much at all because she can only offer so much, being human," he'd glared down at the unconscious hybrid. "Now he's had hybrid energy and eaten it up as if he'd been starved. Now there's no telling how he's going to think! He's going to be soft! He's going to be a wimp! He's not going to be a fighter!" Vegeta raved for hours, even as his wife went into labor and had their little hybrid son._

Trunks shook his head and focused on his mother once again. "Tell me what you want to be when you grow up, son," she asked softly. Trunks thought seriously. He thought about his life, his family, his world. What mattered to him most, what he loved, who he loved. He glanced at Majunior, who still had his faced buried in Pan's hair.

"A psychologist," he replied just as softly. "I will be a psychologist." She smiled at him weakly.

"Good. You'll be the best psychologist in the world. You'll help so many people. It's just like you, always playing hero, just like the rest of your family," her smile grew slightly and she turned her head over to Gohan. Trunks's heart panged. He screamed in his mind for his mother to say something else- just three little words. Trunks bit down on his lip, drawing a few drops of blood. 'Please, Mama, please just say something else. I'll be good if you just say those three words. I'll be good if you just tell me you love me. Please.'

"Gohan, dear… please say goodbye to your father for me. Don't be angry with him. He's done all he can for you. He doesn't deserve your anger," Mirai Bulma smiled gently. Gohan nodded and lowered his head. Majunior turned away and walked toward the door, his daughter wailing in his arms. Trunks's shoulders shook and he followed Majunior out of the room quickly. His head was low as well, little tears falling down his flushed, tan cheeks. Gohan smiled sadly at her as well and turned to follow. The metal door shut slowly and clicked to a close.

Bulma hugged her baby close to her chest and walked up to the bedside. Mirai Bulma's eyes were on her. The elder's smile faded slowly.

"I needed him because I felt like no one else did. Everyone around me was becoming stronger and taking on different worlds while I was stuck in the human world. I needed him because I needed someone to need me. Now that he doesn't need me anymore… now that he's moved on to greater things, needs stronger people…" a crystal tear slipped down Mirai Bulma's cheek. Tears fell from Bulma's eyes and into her baby's feathery hair. "But people really do need you, Bulma. Don't let those people go. Always be there for them. And he…" she shifted her eyes to the baby, "he will always need you. Don't be stupid like I was. Don't let him go, especially. Now I can't look at my son's face without seeing all the things I regret not doing.

"Bulma," she whispered in her cracked silver voice, "do you love your son?" Bulma was caught off guard by the question, but nodded firmly.

"With every fiber of my being." Mirai Bulma's smile returned.

"I did too, once upon a time…" the elder's eyes slipped shut, but her smile didn't fade, even as the heart monitor flatlined.

-

TBC…

Gyah. I made myself sad.

Please review.

-don darko.


	12. I Will Stay In The Mess I Made

Impasse

Author's Note: I got a tablet today. I can't play with it until Xmas, though. –cutcut-

-

The funeral took place two days later. It was short and sweet with only close friends and family attending. Only Majunior, Trunks, Pan, Bulma, Baby Trunks, and Gohan showed up. Chichi was determined to stay by Goku's side as long as he was bedridden and Vegeta refused to attend simply because he had 'better things to do'. The two gave their condolences. There was no preacher, there was no church, and there was no big ceremony. Just a corpse, a casket, and a hole. "Just the way she'd wanted it," Majunior mentioned. "She told me once when I was a teenager. 'I want a very small funeral. I'm tired of making a big deal over something so small,' she said."

Trunks didn't speak much. He didn't dress up, nor did anyone else. He wore a black, long-sleeved turtleneck sweater and a pair of old blue jeans. He kept his head down and didn't meet eyes with anyone. He couldn't. He felt dead inside and had no one to confide in. Even though Majunior was there, ready and waiting, he couldn't turn to the other man. He couldn't look at the other man without bringing on more pain. He didn't need memories of Majunior's betrayal on top of his mother's death.

The time travelers, Gohan, Bulma, Vegeta, and little Trunks were solemnly in the living room. Majunior was sitting in front of the couch with Pan in his lap. The little girl was crying into his shoulder. He himself was staring off into space with a grave expression. Trunks was rummaging through one of his mother's bags, looking for anything that she may have been hiding from him. His eyes were dull and lifeless. Gohan sat on the couch, legs pulled to his chest, and watching the other three silently.

Gohan jumped when something flew in front of his face and thunked into Majunior's head.

"Wake up," Trunks mumbled quietly. Pan's cries quieted down to sniffles and she inspected the object that Trunks launched at her father's head. Majunior picked the object up. A ghost of a smile graced his features.

"Our photo album." He reminisced. The others moved closer to see it. The front cover was black with a silver "Z" written in calligraphy. Behind the Z was a detailed four star dragon ball. Majunior rested his head on Pan's and traced the Z lovingly. He opened the album, revealing a rather large picture.

The picture was of the entire group. Everyone had jumped in around Goku; Chichi, Gohan, Oolong, Master Roshi, Krillen, Bulma and baby Trunks, Yamucha, Puar, Chaotzu, Tien, Piccolo, Korin, Kami, Mr. Popo, and even Vegeta. Majunior sighed and folded the corner of the page absent-mindedly.

"This was before Father died. Everything was perfect back then. It was originally supposed to be a picture of Father, but everyone jumped in at the last minute. Dr. Briefs was taking the picture, and he got pretty frustrated when all of us ruined it," he laughed a little and flipped to the next page. The picture on the next page was an excellent shot of Goku doing the trademark Son Smile.

"That's the picture that was supposed to be taken," Majunior smiled softly. Gohan tilted his head and studied the picture. The man in the photo was an exact replica of his father.

Majunior motioned to the page next to it. There sat a picture of Goku holding Gohan and Vegeta holding his infant at arm's length. Baby Trunks had a concentrated look on his face and was reaching out to his father, as if he was trying to make his arms grow a little bit longer, just to touch the man's face. Gohan was perched atop Goku's shoulders, and the full-blooded Earthbound Saiyan was laughing hysterically.

"Trunks always thought it was hilarious to lick his fingers and stick them in Vegeta's ears." Vegeta grimaced, but recovered before anyone could notice. Trunks slid from his seat and crawled next to Majunior and looked over his shoulder. A small smile threatened his lips.

Majunior flipped the page.

The next one was of Gohan, Chichi, the Ox King, and Master Roshi gathered around Goku's bed, all with somber expressions. The man looked as if he were sleeping. Majunior's breath hitched in his throat.

"We thought he would be okay," he mumbled softly and motioned to the next page. It was a headshot of Gohan. His eyes were dull and his face was emotionless. His hair was a mess and it was obvious he'd been crying.

"This was two weeks after Father died," Majunior's voice was quiet. Gohan swallowed and looked up at his older counterpart. His eyes matched the doppelganger's on the page. Dead. Pan flipped the page quickly.

The next photo was of Gohan and little Trunks. Gohan looked older, however. His hair was longer and his face was more mature and serious. In his arms he held little Trunks, who was reaching up to touch Gohan's cheeks. Gohan looked mesmerized by the baby in his arms.

"His first word was my name. 'Ohan,' he said. It was amazing. It wasn't just a word that he'd imitate. He could actually apply it to me." Trunks was silent as he stared down at the picture. Gohan looked up at Bulma and at the little baby in her arms. She smiled at him, stroked the baby's hair, and handed him over. Gohan blushed slightly and sat the child in his lap. The baby cooed happily and laid his head on the other hybrid's chest.

Majunior motioned to the next page. It was of an older Trunks sitting in front of a huge birthday cake. He was holding up four fingers and grinning like he'd won a big prize.

"His third birthday," Majunior chuckled, "he insisted that he was four." Trunks snorted.

"I _was_ four."

"You were three."

Pan smiled and flipped the page.

There were two more of Gohan and toddler Trunks. The first one was of the two hybrids fast asleep in front of the television. Little Trunks was curled up into Gohan's chest. Gohan had his arm slung around Trunks's torso. The next one was of Gohan's fifteenth birthday. Little Trunks had crushed his slice of cake on Gohan's mouth, but the huge grin on the older hybrid's face stated that he didn't mind.

A few more flips revealed more of Gohan and Trunks doing various sorts of stunts. Some contained Mirai Bulma smiling softly or working on the time machines. The last one taken of her depicted her standing in front of the two contraptions and smiling triumphantly. Trunks looked at the pictures longingly, and then flipped the page.

It was of a seventeen year old Gohan sitting between two tombstones. One tombstone- the one he was leaning against- looked older and worn out. The one on Gohan's other side was newer and easily read.

It was his parents.

The scars on Gohan's face were darker and more noticeable. His hair was dirty and messy, as if he'd been sitting there for days.

Majunior took a deep breath. Gohan handed Trunks back to his mother and jumped off the couch, running full speed toward the patients' rooms. Pan bit her lip and flipped the page. The next picture in the album was the last. It was her father and a pretty teenage girl in their school uniforms. Her father was holding Trunks's sword out in front of him, unsheathing it slightly. A small, teasing smile played upon his lips. The teenage girl was perched on his back, one arm around his shoulders, and one arm pointing a gun in the air. Her tongue was sticking out at the camera mischievously. Pan knew that pretty teenage girl.

"Mommy," she whispered, a teardrop falling on the page. Majunior hugged her gently and nodded.

"Mommy," he assured.

-

"Daddy," Gohan whispered into the small room. It was dimly lit, as always, and warm. His parents were lying in the bed, sleeping. Gohan tiptoed inside and shut the door silently. He removed his Piccolo-like shoes and hovered over to the bed, afraid to make much noise. He hovered above his father's bed and stared down at his parents.

His mother was curled up next to his father with her head on his chest. A little blush colored her cheeks. His father looked peaceful enough. Gohan noted that his face wasn't drenched in sweat and his muscles were relaxed.

'He must be getting better,' Gohan thought. A wave of relief washed over him. He remembered the haunted expression Majunior had in the picture.

No, it wasn't just Majunior.

It was _him_, too.

The haunted look _he_ had in the picture.

Gohan shivered and lowered himself onto Goku's other side. Gohan maneuvered himself between the covers and curled into his father's other side. As if it were an automatic reaction, Goku's arm wrapped itself around Gohan's shoulders and pulled him closer. The little boy smiled and stared at his mother's sleeping face and listened to his father's steady breathing.

He loved his parents.

-

"_Look! There's Gohan!" Puar announced excitedly, calling the attention of the surrounding Z Fighters. Said hybrid didn't stop to say hello. He knocked the door to the Son House open in a hurry, letting it slam against the wall. His mother's head shot up and she stared at the intruder, but not to yell at him. Instead, more tears filled her bloodshot eyes and she cried, "Gohan! Oh, Gohan… I'm sorry, Gohan, I'm so sorry…" The Ox King held her closely as she sobbed._

_Gohan let his eyes travel over to the bed. There his father lay, still as could be. Gohan's fingers tightened around the bag of Senzu beans. The little boy stepped forward slowly. His head felt light. His feet felt heavy. He stood next to Goku's bed. Slowly, he reached over and pressed two fingers in the crook of the full-blood's neck._

_He readjusted his fingers._

_He readjusted them again._

_He switched sides._

_He tested the maneuver on himself._

_He pressed his fingers against Goku's neck again._

_He felt Goku's chest._

_Gohan's lip trembled. "D-Daddy?" he whispered. "Daddy, wake up, I've got your Senzu beans…" Gohan took a bean out of the sack and pressed it to Goku's lips. The man didn't respond. Chichi's cries choked._

"_Gohan, he's gone," she said with a hint of anger in her voice. Gohan shook his head and climbed into the bed and pushed his ear against his father's lips._

"_He can't be dead…" Gohan reasoned weakly. "He can't be." He stuffed another bean into Goku's mouth. Chichi reached forward to grab her son's arm, but he ripped it away._

"_No!" Gohan shouted and took out a handful of beans. "Wake up!"_

"_Gohan, stop! Please, get off of him!" Chichi shouted. Gohan shoved the beans down Goku's cold throat._

"_I got your fucking beans, now _wake up_!" Gohan's eyes blazed with anger. "Don't you dare leave me!" he threatened. Goku didn't respond._

"_Get the hell down right now!" Chichi was yelling now, tears streaming down her cheeks._

"_You… You bastard! You left, didn't you! You… I can't believe you! Why didn't you just die when everyone thought you had after Namek blew up?! No, you had to come _back_ and make us all _happy_! Now you think you can leave me _again_?!" Gohan pulled his fist back, "You… fucking… bastard!" His fist came down and a sickening crack resounded off the walls of the small room. Blood splattered on the wall next to the bed. Chichi screamed. Gohan stared down at his father, then at his blood-covered hand, then at his father again._

_His father's face was barely recognizable. The force of Gohan's fist and the lack of defense on Goku's part left a nice-sized crater in the side of his skull. Gohan began to shake._

"_Oh, my God," Gohan whispered. "D-Daddy… I-I'm sorry, Daddy… I'm so sorry… I take it back, I didn't mean that stuff… just, please come back. I promise I'll fix you if you just come back…" Chichi grabbed his arm and pulled him off of Goku's chest. Piccolo stepped into the room and scooped Gohan up. _

"_Get him out of here. Just… Just get him out," Chichi whispered. Piccolo nodded and carried the little boy away._

-

Gohan woke up in a cold sweat, a scream stuck in his throat. Darkness loomed outside the window, but it was warm where he lay. Gohan looked around frantically. Where was he? His eyes landed on his father.

'Daddy!' he thought urgently and sat up. He felt his father's face. No crater. He checked his father's pulse. There it was. _Do-ki, do-ki, do-ki_. A steady rhythm. Gohan sighed in relief.

Speaking of relief, Gohan noticed. He squirmed in his spot. It would have been bad if he'd wet the bed. He climbed out and tiptoed out of the room, being careful not to make much noise. He made his way to the closest bathroom and pushed the toilet seat up to relieve himself.

After flushing, pulling the seat back down, and washing his hands, Gohan was about ready for a glass of water. He stumbled through the darkness to the lit kitchen, but stopped when he heard voices coming from inside.

'Someone's up,' he thought and peeked around the corner. It was Majunior and Mirai Trunks.

"You told her you wanted to be a psychologist," Majunior mumbled. Trunks nodded. Gohan pulled himself back around the corner, out of possible sight.

'I know it's bad to eavesdrop, but…' he listened closely.

"Yeah," Trunks replied shortly. "What's it to you?"

"I…" Majunior was obviously struggling for the right words. "I need your help."

"Why should I help you?" Trunks questioned darkly. Majunior sighed and popped a pill.

"I just really need your help."

Trunks sighed, "With what?"

"I take the pills, but the voices won't leave." Trunks looked up from his glass curiously.

"Voices?"

"Er… yeah. Three of them. Hearing voices is an effect of the Bipolar disorder, right?"

"Only in extreme cases, yes," Trunks mused. He studied Majunior's face carefully.

"Then, why do they keep appearing, even though I'm taking pills to stabilize it?"

"Well, the pills may not be strong enough, or… maybe they're ghosts," Trunks laughed. "Of course, that's impossible. Ghosts don't exist."

Majunior gnawed on his bottom lip, "What do they want with me?" The question was so soft, Gohan almost missed it.

"Do the voices have names?" Trunks asked, obviously interested now.

"They haven't told me any names, but they know a lot about me, more than they should."

"Well of course. They're in your head. Are they usually positive or negative?"

"Well, the woman is usually negative. The man is somewhere in between. The child is always positive."

"A man, a woman, and a child?"

"Yeah. The man is really dark, but he's very intelligent and has good ideas. The woman usually gives me a headache; she screams a lot. The little kid usually treats me like a pet."

"Well, given your past, maybe they represent people you feel guilty for killing."

Majunior was silent for a moment. Gohan's eyes widened. 'I killed someone?'

"I can't think of three people I feel guilty for killing, other than Videl… but, she's not… you know, shrill."

"Then… maybe they're people you think you could have saved. People who would have affected loved ones' lives, had they lived."

Majunior was silent again. "I can think of three people then." Another moment of silence. "But, only two people fit. The child confuses me. My mother for the woman. Your father for the man," Gohan could hear Trunks's breath hitch in his throat. "But the child confuses me."

"…Well, a little kid, always positive…"

"…Innocent, caring, protective…"

"Dad!" Gohan shouted, gaining the attention of the two futuristic hybrids. He stood in the doorway, frozen under the older two's stares.

Majunior nodded. "Dad." Gohan nodded back and turned away stiffly, heading back to his parent's room. He forgot all about his thirst.

-

TBC…

I am not happy with this chapter. I wrote it over and over and over again. –growl-

Next chapter coming soon. Review, pl0x.

-don darko.


	13. After The Fall

Impasse

Author's Note: Well, I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. I didn't. I hope this one will satisfy all of us. :3

-

"So, he's stronger than 17 and 18 were?" Bulma inquired. Trunks nodded.

"And 16, I think. When Cell sucked 17 into his tail, it was like he got twice as strong. I could see it in his eyes. It was weird; Dr. Gero's other creations had lifeless eyes. His were… scary. Evil."

"I think that if he gets to 16 and 18, he might get even _stronger_. We have to destroy 18 before Cell absorbs her," Gohan reasoned. Krillen made a choking sound, calling the attention of his surrounding comrades.

"Er, what's wrong, Krillen?" Yamucha asked. Krillen waved a hand nervously.

"Uh, well, do we _have_ to destroy her? I mean, maybe we could get her on our side. She'd be a great asset- uh…" he trailed off. Majunior growled under his breath.

"Krillen, she's a _killing machine_. She's built to destroy. She's built to destroy _Goku_. She can't be anywhere near him because if he dies, we're all screwed." A soft laugh was heard from behind the time traveling half-Saiyan.

"Well, I'm glad you still rely on me," Goku said. Everyone turned around and stared up at the man; mouths agape.

"G-Goku!" the majority of the group exclaimed. Goku laughed again.

"Hey, what'd I miss?" Chichi pulled gently on his arm and led him to a seat next to Gohan, who promptly latched himself around his father.

"How're you feeling, Daddy?" little Gohan asked. Majunior drew his lips into a fine line, watching the little love scene. Goku smiled down at the little boy.

"Much better, Son, thanks." Bulma smiled and looked back down at her current project: a little remote control.

"Good. Are you well enough to fight, then?" Goku nodded.

"Healthy as a horse," the Saiyan grinned and looked around him. Most of the Z Fighters had attended the meeting at hand: Krillen, Yamucha, Tien, Chaotzu, Vegeta, Bulma, Gohan, Majunior, Trunks, and Pan were all present. Goku furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey, where's Piccolo?"

"Present," a gruff voice sounded from the corner of the room. The green man stepped into the light of the window nearby. Goku grinned again.

"Wow, Piccolo, you're a lot stronger. How long was I out for?" Piccolo shook his head.

"You were only sick for about a week."

"Er, then you must have done some heavy-duty training."

"No," Piccolo replied quietly. "I fused with Kami." Goku's eyes widened.

"Fused with Kami, huh? But weren't you already fused with Nail?"

"There's no limit to how many people we Namekians can fuse with."

"Hm, I thought your energy signature was different. But, now that Kami's gone, does that mean…"

"No more dragon balls," Majunior finished. Goku's eyes widened more, as did many of the surrounding warriors. Piccolo nodded in affirmation.

"You… you mean, we won't be able to wish the people that Cell and the androids have killed back to life?!" Gohan exclaimed. Majunior bit his lip and nodded.

"Wait- who's Cell? What did I miss?" Goku asked darkly.

One explanation later, Goku sighed in exasperation. "So, the androids that I was fighting before I passed out weren't the ones you guys fought in the future?" Majunior nodded. "And then the old android was really Dr. Gero?" Majunior nodded again. "And he activated the ones you guys were expecting- 17 and 18?" Majunior nodded again. "And then they killed Dr. Gero, you joined them, you and Trunks got in a fight, Pan stabbed herself, this Cell guy absorbed 17, Mirai Bulma died of tuber-… tuber-… a disease, and then I woke up?"

"That's about it," Majunior offered a weak smile. Goku rubbed his head.

"Maybe I shouldn't come down with life-threatening illnesses anymore," he laughed, lightening the mood.

"Quiet your brainless trap, Kakarott. We still have two more monsters to kill."

"Two? I thought there were three." Majunior bit his lip again.

"16 is harmless. I don't think Cell is interested in him, anyway."

"There!" Bulma grinned and held the remote control up. "I'm done! I remember Bulma telling me about the bombs that are embedded in the androids' bodies." Vegeta fumed.

"_What_?!" He turned to his future son and his pesky, third-class, wacko friend. "You never mentioned a bomb, you wingnut!" Majunior's eye twitched.

"Because the androids know that if they use their bombs, they'll detonate _with_ it. They want to die about as much as we do," Trunks defended. Bulma nodded.

"And that's exactly what this little baby will do!" Bulma cooed at it lovingly, "Just press this button, and Android 18 will explode within seconds. But it only has a fifteen-second timer. So, once it's pressed, you have to high-tail it out of there."

"But, why 18? Why not 16?" Krillen asked nervously. Majunior cocked an eyebrow.

"Maybe because 16 isn't the threat here, Krillen. If we destroy 16, we won't be doing anything to stop Cell. If we destroy 18, we'll kill two birds with one stone. 18 won't terrorize anyone anymore, and Cell won't have a powerful android to absorb."

"But… ah… okay…" Krillen slouched in his seat, embarrassed and defeated. Goku tilted his head.

"Why, Krillen? Do you like 18 or something?" Krillen choked again.

"W-what?! No, Goku! T-that's r-ridiculous! I don't have a crush on her! S-she's not even _human_!"

"Well, _I'm_ not human, and Chichi still loves me," Goku looked up in thought. Krillen shut his trap.

"Aaaanyway," Yamucha drawled in a passive tone, "who gets to be the lucky detonator?" Bulma smiled.

"I'm glad you asked, Yamucha!" She locked eyes with Majunior, "You!" Majunior's eyebrows rose in curiosity. Pan's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to protest, but Trunks beat her to the punch.

"No!" he exclaimed. Majunior looked over at him in surprise.

"What, are you worried about me?" he asked softly.

"N-no!" Trunks glared at him heatedly. Majunior turned back to Bulma, the light in his eyes dimming slightly. She offered an apologetic smile.

"You think that since I ditched them outside Pepper City, they'll trust me again?" Majunior reasoned. Bulma smirked in a very mad scientist sort of way.

"Oh, you don't have to be right up under them, Mage. This baby will reach out from about forty feet, so you can-"

"I'll do it!" Krillen offered hastily, cutting Bulma off. She cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh… a-alright, but… why, Krillen?"

"Er, you said that we don't have to be right up under 18 to… to kill her. So, I think I should do it," he swallowed hard. Silence followed. He began to sweat. "Because they might not see me as a threat, you know? Heh…"

"Um, okay, Krillen. Is that okay with you, Mage?" Bulma turned back to the hybrid. Majunior shrugged. Bulma looked at Trunks, who fidgeted.

"I don't think he should go alone, though. Just in case something happens, he needs backup," Majunior said.

"I'll go," Trunks offered. "I felt like I didn't do enough when the androids appeared. I need to make up for it." Gohan bit his lip.

"Me, too." Majunior smiled.

"Me, too, then."

"Alright, then. Krillen, Trunks, Gohan, Mage; it's up to you four to kill Android 18. Now, it shouldn't be very difficult. Just make sure she doesn't see you, and steer clear of Cell. When you're close enough, just press the button and run. Simple."

"Yeah, simple…" Krillen grumbled and took the remote. He looked over at the half-breeds. If Trunks was so pissed about Mage going alone, why was he tagging along with him? And why was he letting Mage come now? Krillen looked down at Gohan, who was hugging his father's arm. The older Saiyan had a thoughtful look on his face.

Pan looked up at her father worriedly.

"What happens if Cell _does_ get to 18? Can we win?" Majunior bit his lip and placed his hand on top of Pan's head.

"I don't know, Panny. I don't know."

"I don't want you to die, Daddy." Majunior smiled softly.

"I won't die, Pan. Don't worry."

-

"How do we plan to find them, anyway?" Krillen asked as the little group of aliens followed behind him. Gohan bit his lip.

"Well, when we left them a few days ago, 16 and 18 were running in the opposite direction of us, back toward South City. Maybe they're hiding out on one of the islands there."

"Why would they hide?"

"Well, I would hide, too, if a genetically enhanced, robotic cockroach on steroids was chasing me down to _eat_ me," Majunior reasoned. Krillen nodded.

"Ah."

"I wish they had energy signals," Gohan mumbled. Trunks nodded.

"Yeah, me too. It would make life a lot easier. But, since when has this job been easy?"

The group looked over at the remote in Krillen's hand. Gohan smiled, "Since everyone's favorite mechanical genius created this thingy,"

"Calling her a mechanical genius is a serious understatement," Trunks replied, "But we haven't destroyed 18 yet, so don't get cocky."

Krillen gulped.

"Shit!" Majunior cursed and came to a sudden halt. The others stopped soon after. In front of them, Cell was searching the ground.

"Land on one of the islands," Trunks whispered. "Quick!"

"Ohhh 18~" Cell sang, "Come out, come out, where ever you aaare..." He let his magenta eyes roam the lush islands below him. "Now, dear sister 18, don't hide… I need you in order to get to my perfect form…" Silence. Cell smirked.

"Have it your way, then. I'll just… blow the islands up until you come out." He lifted a clawed hand and aimed it at a random island.

-

The group landed quietly on an island nearby. They quickly hid in a small forest and looked up through the trees.

"Did he see us?" Krillen asked.

"If he did, he's not following us," Gohan mumbled.

"How are we supposed to find 18 if we're hiding?" Majunior growled. He was about to say something else, but Trunks backhanded his chest. "Tch… what was that f… oh."

Nearby, 18 was pressed against the cliff wall. 16 was nearby, watching a bird flutter around his feet. The giant smiled and held out his hand. The bird landed on it.

"Krillen," Trunks whispered slowly, "press the button." Krillen's hands began to shake.

"But… won't the explosion get Cell's attention?"

"The explosion will be big enough to distract him long enough for us to escape, Krillen… just press the button," Trunks glared at the former monk lightly.

"Hold on, Trunks, 16 is too close," Majunior whispered. Trunks's glare turned on him and intensified.

"What are you talking about?!" he whispered back harshly. "That's a _good_ thing."

"No! 16 is innocent," Majunior's voice began to rise.

"Quiet, you guys! Stop bickering like old ladies," Gohan growled softly. "You'll expose us. Mage, there's no saving 16, I'm sorry. Krillen is right, if we blow her up now, it will get Cell's attention, but I think since 16 is so close, the firepower will force him to detonate, too, making an even _bigger_ explosion. One that will distract Cell long enough for us to get away." Majunior gulped.

"He's right," Trunks sighed. "Krillen, push the button." Krillen was sweating now, his eyes locked onto 18's hysterical face.

"She can feel emotion," he whispered. "She looks scared." Majunior looked at him incredulously.

"Anything would be hysterical if that thing," he pointed to Cell, "was chasing them."

"But 16 doesn't look afraid," Krillen tried to reason.

"Just press the damned button!" Trunks shouted. 18 looked over quickly, a panicked look in her blue eyes. She locked sight with Krillen. The human froze. Her mouth hung open slightly as she let her eyes travel down to the remote.

"Shit," Trunks cursed and snatched the remote out of Krillen's hand, but his grip slipped and it clattered to the grass beneath them. An explosion went of two islands away.

"Was that us?!" Majunior whispered, never taking his eyes off the blonde beauty. Gohan shook his head.

"No, that was Cell. He's got the same idea we do. Now we either blow the androids to smithereens, or he blows _all_ of us to Oblivion." Trunks growled and bent down to snatch the remote up, but his hand was blocked.

Krillen's foot crushed the remote. 18 knitted her eyebrows together in confusion and disbelief. Krillen's entire form was shaking.

"Krillen, you idiot! Why did you do that?! That was the last hope we had! _Dammit_!" Trunks screamed and made a move toward the monk. Krillen flinched away, but Majunior caught the hybrid before he had a chance to snap Krillen's neck.

"W-why…" 18 stuttered. The birds jumped and flew away from 16's hand, which made the giant frown. He slid his disturbing gaze to the commotion.

"Mage," he said in his monotone voice. Majunior threw an apologetic look at him. The android gave him a small smile. "I didn't get a chance to tell you before…" Trunks stopped flailing and went limp in Majunior's arms, but didn't take his glare off of Krillen. "But I decided you were right about earlier. I decided that I don't want to kill your father." His icy blue eyes lowered to Gohan. An explosion went off to the island nearest to the group. "Because it would indeed cause unnecessary harm." Majunior smiled and let his grip on the royal hybrid loosen.

"_Watch out_!" Trunks screamed, his eyes locked on the sky. A golden streak of light was headed straight for their island. He spun around, curled his arm around Majunior's waist, and blasted off into the air, Gohan and Krillen following. Majunior watched with wide, horrified eyes as the island below him exploded.

-

TBC…

DUN DUN DUNNN…

Now, I AM much happier with this chapter! I love writing Cell's dialogue. It's so syrupy sweet, yet bitter. Oh, if only 17 wasn't my favorite kaboom-happy android, Cell certainly would take the cake. He's just so twisted.

**WARNING: UNNECESSARY RANT AHEAD. **

Wtf is up with everyone liking these skinny little boys that are plaguing today's anime? 17 is skinny, I know, but he's still, unmistakably, a boy, even with a _twin sister_. Today's anime boys could be girls if they just put on a fucking dress. I want a big, muscley man. Hell, I want a fucking _gorilla_ in my bed!!

Also, what's with everyone complaining that DBZ takes too long to finish a scene? At least it's not like these pointless generic animes that run for five episodes and then everything is solved. If a power up doesn't last two or three episodes, I'm not interested.

**RANT'S OVER.**

Anyway, next chapter coming soon. Review or I'll break out my bondage suit, and you don't want to see that shiz.

-don darko.


	14. We'll Shake It Off

Impasse

Author's note: I'm glad you didn't make me take out the bondage suit.

-

"Well, well, well, hello there. What a nice surprise. Krillen, Gohan, Trunks, and _Majunior_," Cell twisted the last name with a hint of ridicule. Trunks growled and tightened his grip around Majunior, who looked at him confusedly.

'Is he being _protective_ over _me_?' Majunior ghosted a smile, but it disappeared as he locked eyes with the green android. Krillen sucked in a deep breath and got into a fighting position. Cell laughed.

"Do you honestly expect you four can fight me? You're too weak; you may as well give up now. I'm not even in my perfect form and I know I can flick you away like flies." Trunks powered up, golden light exploding from his body. Cell didn't flinch. "Not even a Super Saiyan is impressive, kid."

"How do you know about us?" Majunior asked calmly. Cell was not normal. Dr. Gero didn't know about him or Trunks, so how could one of his creations know? Especially one that has had no contact with either of them. Cell just grinned, his fat lips stretching across his square-like face.

"Because I'm from the future, too," he purred. The two time traveler's eyes widened. "Yes, I said 'I'm from the future, too,'. You see, in _my_ world, you two had beaten the androids while you were in the past and returned to the future, where I was waiting. But you two had destroyed 17 and 18 before I could absorb them, so I promptly killed you both and that insidious little girl," his voice became bitter at the mention of Pan. Majunior's eyes narrowed. "Then I took your time machine and traveled back here. I've been here for two years already." Cell's grin returned.

"S-so you're saying…" Krillen's voice trailed off, trembling. Cell smiled down at him notoriously.

"There is no hope for you left. Now, if you all hold still, I'll make your death quick and painless…" he held up his hand and chuckled, "Smile for the camera." Energy formed in his hand, but the attack was interrupted with a hard kick to the face.

18 floated between Cell and the four Z Fighters. Her clothes were ripped and her face and hands covered with soot. 16 floated up behind her. Half of his skull was missing. Wires were sparking out from it.

"Brother 16, that was very rude of you," Cell growled.

"Your fight isn't with them, Cell, it's with me," 18 replied in a dangerous tone. Majunior and Trunks exchanged shocked glances. Cell smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you finally decided to come to me, sister 18. It makes things much, much easier. I didn't like getting rough on you." 18 snorted, disgusted. She disappeared from her spot in front of 16 and reappeared, her fist inches from Cell's face. The green android simply caught her hand.

"Tsk tsk, 18. Always with the violence. Well, if you insist…" he trailed off and backhanded 18, forcing her to fly across the sky toward the Z Fighters. Trunks tightened his grip even more on Majunior's waist and flew out of range, as did Gohan. Krillen, however, held his arms out and caught the female android, but her momentum sent him flying backward as well. When they finally slowed, 18 and Krillen opened their eyes at the same time.

Krillen blushed hard. He was holding 18 bridal style, but she didn't seem to mind. He looked into her eyes, but instead of seeing only lifelessness as Majunior and Trunks had described, he saw waves and waves of all sorts of different emotions. Shock, fear, shyness, embarrassment, and, above all, curiosity. Krillen swallowed the lump in his throat.

"W-why are you defending us?" he asked softly. 18 tilted her head slightly, making Krillen blush even harder.

"Why did you spare my life?" she answered. He blinked, his blush fading slightly. 18 leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Krillen, watch out!" Gohan yelled.

"Hello, lovebirds," Cell was suddenly next to the two and he broke out a sinister grin. The tip of his tail expanded.

"No!!" Majunior screamed and struggled to get away from Trunks. The other hybrid easily overpowered him, being in his Super Saiyan state. Thinking quickly, Krillen dropped 18 and grabbed the rim of Cell's vacuum-like tail.

"Run, guys! Don't worry about me," Krillen yelled over the roar that came from Cell's tail. Golden light ruptured from Majunior's skin, forcing his hair to stand up and his eyes to take that lifeless green.

But this time, Majunior did not float into a peaceful darkness. He was completely awake and aware of his surroundings. Majunior smiled and looked down at his pocket where his pills waited.

'Thanks, Ma.'

The explosion of energy was enough to make Trunks let go, but not enough for Majunior to get away completely. Trunks grabbed the dark hybrid's leg and pulled him back. Majunior looked down at him incredulously.

"I'm not letting you fight that thing, Gohan. You heard what it said about us in its timeline. We're no match for it," Trunks growled, his angry teal eyes piercing into Majunior's.

"What, are you worried about me?" Majunior asked softly. Trunks flinched.

"N-no!! You promised Pan that you wouldn't die, remember?"

Majunior looked over to his younger form, who met his eyes and nodded. The oldest hybrid looked over to Krillen. "But, we can't just not help him…"

"Go, guys! Get 18 and get out of here! Now!" Krillen shouted again. A slender, cold hand cupped his forehead and another hand gripped the rim of Cell's tail. 18 pulled back on Krillen's head, making him lean and stare into her eyes.

"Thank you," she said calmly and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Krillen's eyes doubled in size as she rammed her elbow into his stomach, knocking him away. In less than a second, Cell sucked her into his tail. The green monster grinned and began to glow. The sky seemed to darken around him and the tide below began to get rougher.

16 grabbed Krillen and blasted off toward the other three, scooping them all up in one gargantuan arm. Trunks tensed, but relaxed when he noticed Majunior's and Gohan's placid expressions. He looked over 16's shoulder and gasped.

Perfect Cell grinned up at Trunks's frozen face.

-

TBC…

A pretty darn short chapter, if you ask me. Three pages, to be exact, when average chapters in this fic run around eight. I apologize. But, I do have a prologue to my new story uploaded. Go back to my profile and click on it to read it. It's called "Rescue Me". However, I won't be writing any more on it until after I finish "Impasse". (Yes, I'm finishing Impasse. I'm not dumping it! I hate writers who do that! Hip-hip-hooray.)

And thanks Makai Alexa for drawing me some _**awesome**_ fanart for this fic. I love it!

Anyway, review. Reviewers get a cookie (not the gross kind, the good kind.)

-don darko.


	15. Show Me The Way

Impasse

Author's note: Mmm, ravioli. Omnomnom.

-

Pan hugged her teddy bear to her chest lovingly as she stared at the television screen. An old cartoon flashed across the screen, but it didn't fail to capture her attention. Vegeta snorted in disgust behind her, but she ignored him.

"_Aww, Cap'n,"_ the boy on the screen cooed and hugged the blue humanoid monster in a red captain's hat. The Cap'n flinched away, but stopped.

"_Look, Flap! The warmth of your hug is meltin' the ice! Hug harder, boy, harder!"_ the blue captain shouted excitedly. The little boy hugged him harder and the ice surrounding them melted away.

"Does that really work?" Pan wondered aloud, eyes never leaving the TV screen. A strangled noise came from Vegeta's throat.

"What- you're kidding, right? That's a _cartoon_, you little brat. It's not real." Goku strolled in about this point, having fetched what snack he wanted from Bulma's kitchen.

"Whoo, seven days of fighting a virus makes me hungry," he said as he plopped down on the couch next to Vegeta. "What's not real?"

"This brainless granddaughter of yours just asked if the atrocious happenings of this animated short were _real_," Vegeta twisted the last word with disgust. Pan pouted at him. Goku chuckled and popped a cracker in his mouth.

"Well of course it's real, Pan," he said, gaining a look of incredulousness from his fellow full-blood. Pan looked up at him curiously.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean," Goku slid off the couch and settled next to the little girl, "hugs are great for making things better. They make a person comfortable and happy again."

"…So, if my daddy hugged you, then he'd like you again?" Goku stopped nibbling the cracker and looked at her.

"What…?" he asked. Pan looked down at Dexter.

"Uh, well, I heard Daddy telling Miss Bulma that he didn't like you," she mumbled.

"I think you might have heard wrong, Panny," Goku smiled softly. The little girl shook her head defiantly.

"No, I know that's what he said. He said he doesn't hate you, but he doesn't like you 'cause you weren't home for the half of his life that you were alive in," Pan recalled from her memory. Goku drew his lips into a fine line and looked up at the doorway. His blood ran cold and his eyes widened, but he quickly got into a fighting stance. Pan looked around his leg.

16 stood in the doorway, electricity sparking from his cranium. One of his eyes- the one on the same side of his head that was broken- was sealed shut. His mechanical lips were pulled into a tight frown. "Goku, I've finally found you," he stated. Soft, mechanical whirrs were audible as his jaw moved. Goku tightened his stance.

"Are you 16?" Goku stated sharply. 16 nodded. Vegeta got into a fighting stance next to him.

"Your mutant brat from the future said that he was harmless," the prince spat.

"Where are our friends? What did you do to them- Pan!" Goku hissed as Pan pushed past his leg. The little girl slipped away before Goku could grab her arm. "Get back here!" Pan latched herself onto 16's leg. The robot merely looked down at her.

"16, are you okay? Where are my daddy and Gohan and Trunks and Krillen? Are they all okay? Did you guys kill Cell? How did you get that crack on your head? Do you need to see Miss Bulma?" The questions stringed along one breath of air, but 16 waited patiently until after she was done. Goku growled.

"Pan, over here, now! He's an android!"

"Mister Goku, if Daddy trusts him, then I trust him, too," Pan replied, clinging harder onto 16's leg. The robot tilted his head.

"Well your father doesn't have a good taste in friends," Vegeta murmured. Goku elbowed him, earning him a low growl. 16 placed a large, torn hand on the little girl's head. His lips pulled up into a smile.

"I am functional. Your father, Gohan, Trunks, and Krillen are all doing well. We did not kill Cell, for he absorbed Android 18 before we had the chance. This crack in my skull was formed by an explosion from Cell. I am afraid I do not know who Miss Bulma is." Goku stared in awe. The android had answered all of Pan's questions shortly, sweetly, and in order. He relaxed.

"Don't worry, Panny, we're all alright, for now…" Majunior's tired voice echoed from behind the gargantuan android. Pan's eyes grew huge. 16 stepped further into the room with Pan still on his leg. Goku tensed more, but Vegeta relaxed his stance, seeing that the detonator crew was alive and… well, alive. For now. Vegeta smirked.

"I knew you imbeciles would never be able to kill that thing," Vegeta teased. Trunks's eyebrow twitched, but he kept his head down, as did Krillen. Pan hopped from 16's leg and into Majunior's arms. The oldest hybrid caught her easily. Gohan was the last to step through the door, but he looked more thoughtful than worried. He met eyes with his father. Goku's entire form stilled.

Those beautiful brown depths were soft and warm, full of life and love as they gazed up at the man who was his father. He would dislike him someday? Just because he was never there? Goku took a deep breath and glanced over to 16. The robot was watching Majunior and Pan. Goku let his eyes slide over to the Father-Daughter reunion. It made his heart pang with nostalgia. Goku looked back at his son and relaxed, letting his usual smile come back.

"Hey there, Son," Goku greeted the little boy lovingly. Gohan's eyes sparked with excitement.

"Hi, Dad," Gohan replied. He closed the distance, brushing past 16 easily. When Gohan's skin brushed the androids, Goku felt the muscles in his back tense.

'Push it down, push it down, it's alright,' Goku thought to himself. He forced his eyes to retain their softness. Gohan bit his lip.

"How are you feeling, Dad?" Gohan asked, letting his eyes glance over his father's body for any sign of crippling pain that may have been being hidden. Goku's smile became a little too enthusiastic.

"Oh, I'm fine!" he said a little loudly. Majunior looked over Pan's shoulder as the little girl hugged him tightly. His face blanked.

"Oh, well, good," Gohan replied quietly. 16's neck buzzed as his head turned to watch Gohan and Goku. Goku's heart raced and he grabbed Gohan's hand. With a sharp tug, Gohan stumbled over to his father.

"Er, why don't you come closer, Gohan? Heh…" Goku's smile became nervous. Gohan cocked an eyebrow.

"Uh, okay… what's wrong, Dad? You look a little… nervous."

"W-what? Hah! I-I'm not nervous… just, stay by me, okay?" Goku hugged the boy to his side. He looked up and met Majunior's eyes. Goku's blood ran cold again. His future son's beautiful brown depths were rock hard and ice cold, lifeless and loveless as they stared down at the man who used to be his father. He disliked him, just because he was never there. Goku swallowed the lump in his throat and unconsciously hugged the little boy closer.

-

"So, you guys didn't do anything you went all the way out there for, but instead did the exact opposite," Bulma sighed and leaned her head back. Gohan sat uncomfortably between his father and his mother. The two adults haven't let him get anywhere out of reach since he got back. Gohan's eyes drifted up to Piccolo pleadingly. The Namekian met his eyes and flashed an apologetic smile. Gohan sighed.

"Er, yeah," Majunior's sigh mirrored his younger companion's. Trunks growled and shot an accusing glare at Krillen, who shrunk down into his seat.

"Well, what now? Cell is probably looking for us now. What do we do?" Bulma hugged her baby to her chest and dropped her head. Little Trunks tugged at her hair gently, innocently oblivious to what was going on around him. Majunior bit his lip and watched the baby, then looked up at Trunks.

"What if... we took them to our timeline?" Majunior whispered. Trunks glared at him.

"Are you _insane_? Oh, wait, don't answer that question, Mister Bipolar," the younger time voyager growled sarcastically. Majunior's eyes dropped to his shoes. "No one can live in that wreck we call a timeline, Gohan. It was amazing _we_ could even live there. The androids there will just kill us all in less than a day. At least here it's only Cell. We could still have a chance if we just…" his voice strangled with his frustration, "If we were just faster, smarter, stronger… I don't know. It seems like no matter what we do, the world is done for."

"Why don't we all just attack Cell at once?" Krillen suggested timidly. Trunks glared at him.

"Yeah, at least that way we'll all die at the same time," he replied with mock enthusiasm. Majunior growled.

"Enough, Trunks. You're cranky, we get it. Nothing ever goes just right for you, I know. But sometimes you just have to improvise when the shit hits the goddamn fan. There's never no way out."

"And what do you call our timeline? Do you call that _improvise_? What is our way out of that one?"

"Our _improvisation_ was to go back in time."

"Well that was a sucky improvisation, Gohan Son! What happens when we go back to our timeline? Obviously we're going to fail here because you and I are still ourselves. If we were really to succeed changing the past, wouldn't you and I have changed by now? You can't change what has already been written in stone. The future finds a way." Trunks stood from his seat, anger rippling off him in invisible waves. Chichi stood up as well, a fiery look in her eyes.

"So, what? Are you just going to give up? Trunks, if I know _anything_ about you Saiyans, it's that you _never_ give up, especially your father. He was an arrogant asshole if I ever knew one. Now, sit the _hell_ back down and think of something!" Trunks looked at her in shock. He never really knew Chichi, but whenever he did see her, she was always so quiet and doting. This was really the same woman? Trunks sat down. Yamucha kicked the door to the kitchen open.

"Guys! Come, quick, the TV! Cell is on the TV!" the frantic baseball player yelled before running back into the living room. The small group of Z Fighters followed behind quickly.

Pan was sitting on 16's lap, leaning forward onto his knees as she watched the screen. 16 was watching blankly. Vegeta was sitting on the couch, fuming in silent anger. -1- Majunior sighed and sat down next to the large android. Goku did just the opposite, carefully steering his family away from the large android. Gohan pouted and tossed Piccolo another pleading look.

"Hello, humans. I am Cell; an android created by Dr, Gero to destroy you all. But, just going around and killing you all doesn't sound very fun to me, so…" the green monster grinned wickedly, his new lips stretching perfectly across his perfect face, "I will be holding a martial arts tournament in ten days. I want all of the world's greatest fighters to attend. If Earth wins, I will leave, but if I win… then I'll just blow the planet up." Horrified screams could be heard from the studio Cell was recording his announcement in.

"So, October twenty-fifth will either be Earth's victory day or Earth's doomsday. Train well. Work hard. I will meet you at the Cell Games."

-

TBC…

-1- I don't know if any of you have noticed this yet, but I made Trunks have a nice little mixture of his parent's tempers. Vegeta's impulsive rage and Bulma's personality quirk that won't allow her to shut up for a second. Hah.

Ufufufufu! Cell Games! And I know the Cell Games in the series was held in May, but… -cough-

Anyway, next chapter coming up soon. Make sure you review. It makes me smile. More reviews make me work faster. So, logically, Reviews = Next Chapter.

Do it.

-don darko.


	16. Only The Strongest Will Survive

Impasse

-

"The Cell Games, huh," Piccolo muttered. Gohan pushed himself closer, carefully avoiding his parents' reach. Piccolo rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the top of the boy's head.

Majunior was pacing in the front of the living room, head bent, eyebrows knitted together. Pan watched him walk back and forth from her seat in 16's lap.

"He only gave us a little over a week," Trunks reminded everyone. Vegeta growled.

"Well I don't know about you weaklings, but I'm going to train so I can take that monster on on October twenty-fifth."

"Wait, Vegeta," Majunior ordered, stopping the prince. He looked up from the floor and stopped his pacing. "We need to come up with a plan. Splitting up isn't going to help us."

"I'm not interested in helping _you_, Majunior. I only have ten days to become the strongest person in the universe, and I'll use every second!"

"I know how we can have more time," Piccolo said quietly, gaining the spotlight. "There is a room on Kami's Lookout called The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Time inside that room goes much slower that time out here. One day out here equals one year in there. If each of us takes advantage of that room, then we could have up to two extra years per person." Goku grinned from ear to ear.

"Can we go in together, Piccolo?" Majunior asked. Piccolo nodded.

"Up to three people can be in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber at the same time."

"Yes!" Goku exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I didn't get a good shot at those androids, so this is the perfect opportunity to fight! I can't wait!"

"G-Goku, calm down," Trunks mumbled, placing a hand on the older Saiyan's shoulder. Goku wiggled and grinned at him.

"I can use my instant transmission to take us there. That way, we won't waste any time flying."

"That's a good idea," Bulma said. "Will you guys be staying there until the Games?"

"My Gohan isn't!" Chichi stated sharply. "He has schoolwork to do! He's too far behind already."

"Mom, this is the fate of the earth we're talking about, I need to train," Gohan looked up at his mother defiantly.

"No! No son of mine is going to be an illiterate musclehead! You have Calculus." Chichi crossed her arms and stared the hybrid down.

"Chi, come on, its okay. I promise that as soon as we destroy Cell, Gohan will jump right on his schoolwork. Right, Son?" Goku winked at the little boy. Gohan nodded feverishly.

"Yes, Mom, I promise, too. I'll even do extra work on weekends. Promise."

"On one condition…" Chichi placed her hands on her hips. "You take your homework with you and work on it. I mean work on it. Do you hear me, young man?"

"Yes!" Gohan grinned. Chichi rolled her eyes and motioned for him to follow her. Majunior looked down at Pan.

"Speaking of homework…"

"Aw, Daddy!" Pan groaned. Majunior smiled and held her hand, letting her use him as a crutch as they walked out of the room. The other Z Fighters scattered about the building, preparing for the Lookout. In no time, Goku and 16 were the only two remaining in the room. The Saiyan drew his lips into a fine line and looked up at the robot.

"16," he said sternly. 16 turned his head mechanically. "Why change your mind? You were built by Dr. Gero to destroy me." 16 showed no expression, as usual.

"I did not agree with Dr. Gero's programming."

"Heh, so, you decided to join the good guys, huh?" Goku smiled, but it disappeared when 16 did not return it.

"Good and bad are but names very readily transferrable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong is what is against it." -1-

-

"Alright, everyone ready?" Goku asked cheerily. The warriors surrounding him nodded, each having a hand on one another's shoulder. Goku looked up at 16 and smiled. "You sure you should stay here, 16?"

"Yes, Goku. I can do more for Bulma than I can for you all right now."

"Yeah, I'm going to keep him busy by letting me poke around in his body. I want to see how he works," the blue haired genius smiled up at the android. Mage nodded and shifted Pan higher on his hip. The fourth-Saiyan held tightly onto his neck. She smiled up at the android.

"We'll get Cell, Big Brother. Don't worry," Pan said softly. 16's lips pulled up mechanically.

"I know, Pan."

The warriors disappeared.

-

Not a second after they left the Capsule Corp building did they arrive on top of the Lookout. Everyone but Goku stumbled forward a little.

"That's one helluva way to travel," Krillen laughed and rubbed his shiny bald head. Goku laughed as well, nodding.

"Well, it gets me from point A to point B."

"Wh… Goku! Is that you?" a plump, ebony man looked up from the flowers he was watering. Goku grinned and waved a hand.

"Hey there, Mr. Popo. How are you?"

"Mr. Popo is doing just fine, Goku. Tell me, are these the illustrious time travelers that Kami and Piccolo told me about?" Mr. Popo asked as he looked up at Majunior, Pan, and Trunks. Pan grinned and held out a little purple-gloved hand for the ebony man to take. Mr. Popo chuckled gaily and took it with both of his hands.

'They're so soft for a man who obviously enjoys his gardening,' Pan noted mentally. "Yep, that's us. This is my daddy, Gohan Son, and that teenage delinquent over there is Trunks Briefs. I'm Pan Son, by the way."

"So pleased to meet you all, Mr. Popo is! And you're such an outgoing little girl, Miss Pan. Your grandfather's granddaughter, I see." Majunior shifted his weight uneasily and glanced over to Goku, who met his gaze. Majunior let his face turn blank. Goku slid his eyes away uneasily.

"So nice to meet you, too, Mr. Popo!" Pan smiled and wiggled out of Majunior's arm. He set her down gently.

"Mr. Popo," Piccolo uttered in a surprisingly gentle voice, "we need to talk about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Cell is holding a tournament in ten days, and we need the Chamber's power to extend that time. Ten days isn't enough for us to become strong enough. It's our only chance to save Planet Earth."

"If it's for Earth, take all the time you need. Mr. Popo must warn you as to not stay inside the Chamber too long, however. If you are inside for more than a year at a time, the doors will disappear and you will be stuck inside forever. I cannot free you." The Z Fighters nodded in solemn understanding. Mr. Popo continued, "Only three people can go inside at a time. You will need to decide arrangements."

"How about me, Vegeta, and Piccolo go inside first?" Goku suggested, earning angry glares from both said aliens. Goku laughed and put a hand behind his head. "Right, right. I'm sorry. Bad idea."

"I'm going in first," Vegeta growled. Trunks straightened his back and lifted his chin slightly, taking on a Vegeta-ish glow.

"I'll go in with you." Vegeta gave him a heated glare. Trunks didn't falter. He stared his father down with a look that matched. Vegeta's nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Fine. You'd better not slow me down, boy, or only one of us is coming out. I'll give you a hint at whom: I'm _not_ going to miss out on a chance to fight Cell. So watch your ass." Trunks swallowed and nodded once.

"Then me, Gohan, and Mage go in after you," Goku stated firmly, refusing to meet Majunior's accusing expression.

"I'll go alone after the Sons. I train better in solitude," Piccolo said in his deep voice. Yamucha, Krillen, and Tien all looked at each other.

"I think I'll stay out here, you guys," Krillen mumbled. Yamucha and Tien agreed.

Pan pouted from her position next to her father. She tugged on his arm and looked up at him with big, glassy brown eyes. "What about me? When do I get time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Majunior smiled softly.

"You don't," he said. Pan's mouth dropped open.

"Wh-what?! I'm just as strong as you guys, I can train just as hard! I can even become a Super Saiyan, too!"

Vegeta laughed cruelly. "Don't be ridiculous, little girl. Female Saiyans are genetically incapable of transcending to Super Saiyan. Besides, with what little Saiyan blood runs through your veins, it's amazing you're even as strong as you are." Pan's cheeks turned pink and she bit her lip, copying her father's habit. Majunior bent down to her level and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry, Panny. You can train outside with Gohan all you like, as long as you're careful about your stitches." Pan pouted more, but sighed in defeat.

"Fine." She lowered her gaze to her shoes and closed her eyes. When Majunior stood back up, she allowed a smirk to tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Wonderful. In that case, follow me. Mr. Popo will show you where the Chamber is so you can get started."

The royal duo followed the ebony man into the kingly building. The others followed as well. Majunior watched Trunks's back as he walked. His heart panged with hurt. He sighed and popped a pill into his mouth.

The giant double wooden doors were quite a long way from the entrance. After about the eighth flight of stairs, Pan's side began to throb. Gohan noticed and grabbed her arm, slinging her onto his back. The pain left Pan immediately. She growled at first, but the blissfulness silenced her soon enough. She laid her head onto Gohan's shoulder gently and sighed. Peaceful as she may feel, she still did not approve of her mini-father's talent.

The Z Fighters stopped outside the doors to the Chamber. Carefully engraved into the perfect wood were two hour glasses, one on each door. On the left door, the top of the hyperbola shape was filled with what appeared to be sand. On the right, the hyperbola was filled on the bottom.

Mr. Popo pushed the door open. It creaked in protest, but it appeared to open relatively smooth. The Z Fighters flinched away. The only thing visible past the door was a blinding white light. Vegeta strolled in nonchalantly, disappearing into the white void. Trunks began to enter as well, shielding his face from the light.

"Hey," Majunior said softly. Trunks stopped and turned around immediately, curiosity etched across his face. Majunior let a small smile tug at his lips. 'Wow, I didn't think he'd hear me.'

"What?" Trunks glared at the man. Majunior tilted his head, letting his smile disappear and his face drop into a thoughtful expression.

"Just wanted to tell you… that I'll be here when you get back."

Trunks hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Finally, he nodded. He turned back into the light and disappeared. Mr. Popo closed the door. It clanked loudly, locking itself. Majunior leaned quietly on the closed doors, sliding down them and onto the floor. He rested his head against the wood, attempting to listen for any sound whatsoever. Little did he know that the lavender prince sat in the same position on the other side.

-

-1- Straight from the mouth of America's most famous transcendentalist: Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I drew a scene from _Impasse_'s sequel today, just to entertain myself. Ufufufu.

Whoopee, someone finally went into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. And what's Pan up to? Well, you'll find out next chapter! Be sure to review.

Reviews = Next Chapter

-don darko.


	17. Lead Me To Heaven When We Die

Impasse

Author's note: Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie.

-

Trunks gasped as his father plowed him into the blindingly white floor, but, amazingly, the floor was left without so much as a crack. Even after twelve months of abuse, their surroundings refused to budge. That was good, seeing as his father really lived up to all Trunks heard about him. Trunks even made a mental list:

Vegeta was the Prince of All Saiyans. Period.

Vegeta was arrogant.

Vegeta was stubborn.

Vegeta never said anything nice.

Vegeta was always angry.

Vegeta never gave up.

You never ask Vegeta for a break.

Vegeta is not the same as Gohan.

Vegeta always won.

Vegeta was the Prince of All Saiyans. Period.

Trunks jumped to his feet, dodging a Galactic Gun attack. He burst into Super Saiyan again and fired a hearty helping of energy in Vegeta's direction, but the wave disappeared into the white oblivion. Vegeta appeared beside him, delivering a swift kick, but Trunks immediately blocked and swung a hit of his own.

The two royalties continued their workout, flaming with golden light. They appeared to be a blur (and occasionally one would become a streak of light, courtesy of the other competitor). Finally, one golden blur round-housed the other and sent him plying, nearly missing the building that had become their home for a year. Vegeta growled and sat up, rubbing his jaw. Trunks floated back down and shot him a smirk. Vegeta couldn't help it. A proud smirk graced his lips in return.

"Alright, brat."

The two dropped out of their Super Saiyan states and returned to the albino building.

"Today we have to leave, Father," Trunks reminded the other man. Vegeta snorted and doctored the bruise welling up on his cheek. Trunks threw him an ice pack. "You know we do."

"Yeah, yeah. But after Kakarott and his little twats get their turn and the Namek gets his, I'm coming in again."

Trunks nodded and combed a hand through his hair. It had really grown out since he'd entered. Trunks looked down at himself. His pants were shorter on him, but they were too long to begin with, for they once belonged to Gohan. Trunks sighed with slight sadness, gaining an accusing look from his father.

"What, boy?" Vegeta demanded sharply. Trunks didn't look fazed (after all, he was used to Vegeta snapping at him by now).

"It's just Gohan," Trunks replied.

"What about him?"

"Well," Trunks hesitated. He really didn't want to be ridiculed by his father, but he knew that there was no way to avoid the pushy prince. "All my life, he's always been there for me. He's always been my brother, my best friend, my… father," Trunks glanced up, but Vegeta didn't flinch at the fact his alternate identity had been replaced by a third-class idiot brat. Trunks continued, "But I can't get it out of my head… why he did the things he did when the androids showed up. Why did he take his defibrillator out? Why did he join the androids? Why did he… say those things to me?"

Vegeta knew all about Majunior's little episode with the androids. He knew all about Majunior's disorder. He knew all about what Majunior had said to his son. True, it angered him that the brat did those things, but Vegeta could understand it for reasons obviously invisible to his future son.

"You've been milling over this all year, haven't you?" Vegeta questioned. Trunks nodded slightly. Vegeta crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "I've taught you all about Saiyan instinct; their thirst for power."

"Gohan's not like that…"

"Quiet! Believe me, boy. Your Gohan may not be like a normal Saiyan initially, but I've seen him when he's pushed over the edge. When I first met him- when he was only five years old- I could see it. His Saiyan side was buried deep within him and was only brought out by his emotions, but when it came out, he was a completely different person, like he had a split personality. When he let that power take him, I saw a warrior. I saw an Elite. I saw… a god. I hate to admit it, but he was an amazing boy.

"But like I said, his power was only brought out by his emotions. Realizing this, he knew that the only way to make you transform as well was to trigger those emotions. You and he are… alike. You both favor your human side over your Saiyan side, but still keep your Saiyan side in tact. Since he needed to push you over that edge… push you into that corner where the only way to get out is to push forward… he needed to eliminate his human emotions completely.

"You remember when he was a teenager, his insanity allowed his Saiyan power to take full control. Taking away the drug that allowed his human morals to resurface let his Saiyan side to take him again. That way he could help you transform. It worked, didn't it?" Vegeta looked up at his son sternly. Trunks bit his lip, imitating Majunior's habit.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," Vegeta said roughly.

-

"Masenkoooo-ha!" Gohan shouted, gathering energy at his forehead and blasting it in Pan's direction. The one-fourth Saiyan dodged swiftly and fired a blast of her own. Gohan swept it away effortlessly.

"Speed is nothing without strength to back it up!" he growled and appeared at Pan's side. She dodged his backhand and jumped over his leg. "Don't just dodge! Get inside!" Gohan shouted. He fired another round of energy blasts. Pan dodged one by one, making her way closer to her childlike father. She jumped into the air, hands over her head, and aimed to strike him. Before she was even halfway through her move, however, Gohan swiftly blasted her with a yellow streak of energy. She fell to the ground, soot covering her face.

"Jeez, Gohan, I think you burnt my underwear…"

Piccolo's hairless brows knitted together. This looked familiar.

"Alright, I think that's enough for one day. You look tired, Panny," Gohan plopped down on the white concrete next to her. She smiled and stretched.

"Yeah, well…" Pan pulled herself into a sitting position and stared over the horizon. Her eyes sparkled. The sky was painted a variety of burning colors, from bright yellow to the deepest red. Gohan looked over at her and blushed. The warm colors played in her eyes, accenting the tender brown. He smiled.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered. Gohan nodded.

"Twilight at the top of the world."

"_Hey!_" Goku called from inside the building. "They're coming out!" Gohan's ears perked up.

"Come on!" he demanded excitedly and scooped her up. She laughed and linked her arms around his neck, allowing him to carry her to the hallway which held the doors to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

When they arrived, Majunior was still sitting in front of the doors. One leg was drawn up to his chest, the other stretched out in front of him. His eyes were half lidded, tired from the lack of sleep. His head was inclined forward, listening.

"Come on, move, Mage," Yamucha said. Majunior shook his head.

"Wait…" an audible _ker-chunk_ resounded through the room. Majunior hopped up and moved back to the others. The large wooden doors opened slowly, releasing the blinding white light. The first figure was tall, but obviously Trunks. As he stepped more into the dimmer light, his appearance became more notable.

Trunks had grown like a weed, much like his silky lavender hair. His locks were pulled back into a messy pony tail at the nape of his neck. He held himself more confidently, more dangerously; shoulders back, hands fisted, strides long and firm, chin down, eyes piercing from behind long lavender lashes. His clothes were torn, bloody, and a little bit tight on his larger body.

But it wasn't his clothes that caught Majunior's attention right away. It was his face. His skin seemed tighter; it seemed to be pulled against his hard jaw and cheekbones. Not a trace of fat was evident on his entire frame. His eyes were narrower, harder; his lips locked in a permanent scowl.

He looked like Vegeta.

"A year of Vegeta will have that kind of effect on a guy," Krillen whispered jokingly. Pan thumped him on the head and shook her finger at him.

"Shame, shame."

Despite Majunior's painfully obvious bodily inspection, Trunks walked right up to him. He stood firm, tall, and straight. He looked down at his big brother with piercing blue eyes.

And started laughing.

"Oh, shut up," Majunior scowled. Trunks laughed harder.

"Oh, you're _pouting_! I knew I was taller than you now, but _this much_?! Oh, my god!" Trunks bent over, holding his abdomen. The others surrounding them began to giggle as well. Majunior's nose wrinkled, but couldn't stop the small smile creeping onto his face.

The lavender haired prince was, indeed, a good three or four inches taller than Majunior. Trunks regained his composure by the time Vegeta exited the Chamber. He could feel the prince's burning glare on the back of his head. Trunks let himself slip back into his practiced dangerous posture.

It was Majunior's turn to smirk. Trunk shot him a hot glare before the other hybrid could say a word, but it didn't faze him.

"Daddy's boy."

"Shortie."

"Hello? Is anyone home?" a familiar female voice bounced off the stone walls of the Lookout.

"Bulma?" Goku wondered. The group emerged onto the platform and, sure enough, the motherly blue-haired beauty was looking around the place curiously. Her eyes lit up when she spotted her friends. She hugged her baby closer and bounced up to them.

"Hey, guys!" Bulma laughed and studied the faces of the warriors. Her eyes stopped on a certain purple-haired doppelganger of her child. Trunks frowned and looked away. In less than a second, Bulma was in front of him, inspecting him.

"Wow, you've really grown. Your hair is longer," she tugged at it. "Is this real? Wow, it is! And your skin is still tan. You must get it from your father. Wow, you look so buff and grown up!" Bulma gushed. She grinned and looked down at the baby. "You'll be a big, handsome man! Yes you will! Yes you will!" The baby cooed in response.

"Hold on, guys, I have some presents for you," Bulma handed the baby to Trunks carefully, leaving Trunks no choice but to hold him.

As Bulma searched her capsule box, Trunks gazed into the baby's dual pair of sapphire eyes. "Wow, that's me," he smiled. Baby Trunks puckered his lips and reached a tiny, fat hand out to his older counterpart's face. Trunks brought him closer.

"Bad idea," Bulma warned absent mindedly, but it was too late. Trunks flinched as the baby tugged roughly on his hair and giggled with utter delight. It didn't come out like Grandpa's did! He tugged on it again, making Trunks make pained noises in the back of his throat. He detached his hair from the baby's fists and offered him to Gohan. The younger hybrid set Pan on her feet and took the baby.

Baby Trunks gazed up at Gohan's eyes with interest. His puffy little lips parted and he made a cooing sound. Gohan grinned.

"Hi there, Trunks. I'm Gohan. Can you say that? Go-han." Bulma looked up from her capsule case, having retrieved the right capsule. She stopped and watched.

"Can you? Gooo-haaan," Gohan smiled as Baby Trunks tried to imitate the sounds, but they still came out as coos. Bulma laughed softly and clicked the button on the top of the capsule and tossed it on the ground. It burst in a puff of purple smoke. When the smoke settled, a metal case sat on the floor.

"What's in there, Miss Bulma?" Pan asked curiously. Bulma grinned excitedly.

"I'm glad you asked, Pan," she said and flipped the top up. Inside was an assortment of Saiyan armor. Gohan cradled the baby closer as he bent over to look inside.

"Wow," he mumbled. "Did you make these all by yourself?"

"Yep!" Bulma grinned. "I tried to copy Vegeta's style as much as possible…" she tossed uniforms to each member on the Lookout. Piccolo and the humans dodged the objects. After Bulma was done assaulting everyone with armor, Gohan handed her the baby and took a suit of his own. He stripped down to his underwear shamelessly and slipped the suit on.

"Wow!" Goku exclaimed. "These are so comfortable!"

"Yeah, just like the ones on Namek," Gohan added. Trunks pulled the chest armor over his head and pulled on the white gloves and white boots.

"Cool," he whispered. He looked up at his father, but Vegeta looked away before they met eyes. Trunks smiled.

"It makes me look like a boy…" Pan grumbled. Bulma smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Pan, but I don't know how to make female Saiyan suits. I'll work on it, though." Pan nodded and took the suit back off. As she was buckling her belt back up, she looked up at her father, who hadn't touched his armor.

"Aren't you going to wear it, Daddy?" she questioned. Majunior shook his head.

"No, Panny. I'm trained under Piccolo's style of training. I prefer not to wear Saiyan armor when I have the choice."

Trunks glared. "Put it on," he snapped. Majunior turned his head away, but only succeeded in making the lavender haired prince angrier. "Put the damn suit on!" Pan chewed on her bottom lip. Majunior glared at him, and then glanced down at Pan, then back up at Trunks. Trunks didn't flinch.

"What, are you worried about me?" he asked softly. Trunks growled.

"No I'm not worried about you, but if Cell kills you because you didn't wear the right armor, then we could be doomed!"

Majunior turned away.

"Hurry up and get in there, Kakarott. I want you and the Namek to take your turns so I can get my second round. Go, now."

"Pushy, aren't we, Veggie-head?" Majunior smirked. At least Vegeta hadn't changed. Said Saiyan growled darkly. Majunior growled back playfully.

"He's right," Goku said seriously. Gohan looked up at him, shocked. His father was being serious? Scary. "Let's go, come on."

Gohan scooped Pan back up playfully, making the little girl laugh.

"Come on, I can walk!"

"I know, but I've gotten used to lugging you around everywhere." The group headed back to the Chamber hallway after thanking Bulma for the suits.

Upon arriving, Gohan put Pan back down on her feet and hugged her gently. The girl smiled patiently. "I'll be back… tomorrow," Gohan stuttered. Tomorrow for her, anyway.

"I'll see you then, Gohan," Pan nodded happily. Majunior bent down to her height and kissed her quickly on the lips.

"See you tomorrow," he said. "Be good. No mischief." Pan nodded again, still smiling.

"Alright, Daddy. I love you. Train hard for me. Transcend, Gohan. We're all counting on you."

Gohan nodded. Majunior hesitated, letting his hands linger on his daughter's tiny shoulders. Should he really leave?

"It's okay, Daddy. I will be just fine. I have Trunks and Vegeta and Mister Piccolo and Krillen and Yam-"

"Okay, okay," Majunior chuckled and stood back up. He turned to Goku and, along with Gohan, they stepped into the blinding light. The door shut and locked with a final _ker-chunk_.

Pan stood up straight and turned on her heel, facing Trunks.

"Train me," she ordered. "I need to be a Super Saiyan."

Trunks smirked, "I was wondering when we would continue our training."

"Women can't be Super Saiyans, you little twat," Vegeta cursed. Pan shot him a sharp glare.

"Who says?"

"The Saiyan teachings."

"I bet it was a male-dominant species, the Saiyans were. Weren't they?"

"Well, yes."

"So women weren't allowed to have the same training as men, right?"

"You're smart."

"So shut up. I'm getting the proper training. I'm proving you and your entire ignorant race dead wrong." Pan turned on her heel and headed deeper into the building, toward the bedrooms. Vegeta growled angrily, drilling holes into the back of her head with his eyes. Trunks smirked and followed the little girl.

-

When the duo reemerged, they were wearing matching training uniforms. The cloth was made of thick, green material. Red sashes hugged their wrists and waists and yellow boots guarded their feet. Bulma smiled.

"You're a bad girl," she said, "but awfully clever." Pan grinned. She looked over to the darkening sky over the horizon.

"How long have you been training with Trunks?" Krillen asked curiously.

"Since before we even came to the past," Pan replied. "I'm stronger than I let on, but I cover it for Daddy's sake. I don't want him worrying about my safety- he has himself to worry about."

"But what about your stitches?" Bulma asked. Pan replied again, never looking away from the artistically painted sky.

"I have Senzu beans I took from Korin's Tower in my time. I only eat half a bean, and that's enough to heal my wounds without jumpstarting my energy and letting Daddy know just how strong I really am."

"So, you've been faking it?" Bulma's eyes widened. Baby Trunks watched the Saiyan girl with his intelligent blue eyes. Pan smirked and looked away from the horizon.

"I'm a good actress, eh?"

Bulma laughed.

-

"C'mon, Pan!" Trunks shouted and threw another right cuff at the little girl. His fist collided with her face, forcing her to spin in midair. She stopped herself, landed on her bionic foot, and launched herself into Trunks's stomach. Trunks lost his breath and was sent flying across the Lookout.

Even though Trunks was in his Super Saiyan state, he and Pan were still equals in strength. He looked over at the little girl, who was attempting to force herself over the edge by powering up. Trunks watched carefully.

The dust and broken tile swirled around her form. Energy sparked around her, but it was still a human blue, mixing in with the early morning light. Her voice raised an octave as more energy coursed through her body. Vegeta laughed cruelly from the sidelines.

"I told you, little girl, women cannot transcend! It's impossible! They are genetically incapable!" Whether or not his words fell on deaf ears was difficult to tell. Trunks closed his eyes and sighed. His father was such a douche sometimes. Pan's voice strained under the pressure.

Trunks thought back to what his father said while they were in the Chamber.

"_His Saiyan side was buried deep within him and was only brought out by his emotions, but when it came out, he was a completely different person, like he had a split personality."_

Trunks opened his eyes slowly and studied the powerful girl in front of him.

"_But like I said, his power was only brought out by his emotions. Realizing this, he knew that the only way to make you transform as well was to trigger those emotions."_

An idea clicked in the lavender prince's head. He hopped to his feet and strolled toward Pan, who was now kneeled down on the ground, panting.

'Goku transformed for passion and anguish. Father transformed for dedication and hatred. Gohan transformed for love and rage. I transformed for longing and betrayal.' Trunks towered over the eight-year-old. She looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot with tears of frustration.

'Pan transforms for defiance and condescendence.'

"He's right," Trunks growled. Pan's eyes widened. "You can't do it. You're too weak. You can't transform. I guess female Saiyans can't transform, after all."

Pan's eyes narrowed, filling with more tears of frustration. She clenched her jaw tightly and stood up abruptly. Her muscles tensed visibly. Her bones trembled with restrained energy. Trunks drew his trump card and laughed once.

But, that was all it took.

He was thrown back as Pan's skin erupted with golden flames. Her hair flipped up from the sides of her orange bandana. Her pupils faded and her irises glowed with the eerie blue-green light that all Super Saiyans had.

Trunks smiled and looked up at the eight-year-old. He glanced over to his father, whose mouth was parted slightly and his eyes were twice their normal size. He couldn't help the proud tone in his voice. "Behold, the female Super Saiyan who proved your ignorant race dead wrong."

-

_Gohan flung a few more energy blasts at his father, who deflected them easily. Gohan sighed in frustration. Why wouldn't his father saying anything? And where was Mage? Gohan looked around for his older counterpart, but the man was nowhere to be found. Where could he possibly hide in a place like this? Gohan turned back to his father, but Goku was gone. Gohan knitted his eyebrows together and let his mouth fall open slightly._

"_D-Dad? Where…?" Gohan spun around, searching for any sign of a sneak attack. Deciding his father may be instant transmitting around the area, he closed his eyes and searched for his father's energy._

_Nothing._

_Gohan sighed again and opened his eyes. He gasped and stumbled back._

"_What the-?" Gohan almost cursed. A gray, faceless, naked child stood in front of him. His hair spiked up in all directions, never one with any order. Gohan cocked an eyebrow. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it looked like his father._

"_Who are you?" Gohan asked. His voice sounded strange to his own ears. The child tilted its head._

"_Who are you?" the child echoed. Gohan gulped. The voice was too young to be able to tell from a male or female and there were no genitalia to speak of. The child giggled, regaining his attention. "You're silly," it cooed. The child advanced, but Gohan stood his ground._

"_Where did you come from?" Gohan asked. The child stopped and stared up at the boy's face. Gently, he placed cold, gray hands over Gohan's ears._

"_You," it replied softly. "But you're not supposed to meet me, yet."_

"_What do you mean?" Gohan began to feel light-headed. The child swayed back and forth, making Gohan even dizzier._

"_Things aren't always as they seem," the child whispered. Gohan nodded his head groggily. The child giggled again. "They fall in line one at a time," the child whispered again. Gohan nodded again. "They're ready to play."_

"_I can't see them anyway," Gohan whispered softly. He let his eyes droop._

"_No time to lose, we've got to move…" the child became thoughtful. It tilted its head. Gohan reopened his eyes and bright flashes of light filled his vision. A tall figure just off in the distance, under the light, began to disappear. "Steady your hand."_

"_I'm losing sight again," Gohan gasped. He still felt the child's cold hands on his face, but it was nowhere to be found. The far-off figure's scream scraped his eardrums._

"_Fire your guns, it's time to run," the child whispered. Gohan could hear its smile, if it had one. "Blow me away."_

"_I'll stay in the mess I made," Gohan promised and lifted his right hand. Energy swirled in his chest. It slowly crawled through his veins like honey sliding off a plate._

"_After the fall, we'll shake it off," the child's hot breath tickled his ear._

"_Show me the way," Gohan begged softly. The energy pinched his fingertips and the tiny facets if his skin._

"_Only the strongest will survive," the child warned._

"_Lead me to heaven when we die," Gohan looked over to his left. Someone was next to him. Who was it? He looked to his right. Another unrecognizable person._

"_I am the shadow on the wall," the child's voice became strained. Gohan looked ahead of him. The energy released from his heart. The far away figure disappeared completely._

"_I'll be the one to save us all," Gohan promised. The child chuckled._

"_Save us all."_

-

"Gohan!" Majunior whispered harshly, trying not to wake Goku, who was sleeping in the same bed as his younger counterpart. Gohan jerked awake, sweat pouring down his face.

"W-what? The child? Where? Wha… what happened?" Gohan studied his surroundings, his eyes flashing from one surface to another, finally landing on Majunior's face. The older hybrid's hands were on the sides of his face, cold and clammy compared to Gohan's own fevered skin.

"Hey, it's okay. You were having a nightmare," Majunior shushed. Gohan panted, trying to catch his breath.

"O-oh…" he looked back into Majunior's eyes and studied them. The ghosts and demons were behind those brown mirrors, as always. Gohan took a deep breath. "I- I gotta, um…" Majunior nodded in understanding and helped the eleven-year-old out of bed. The little boy walked to the bathroom.

"Mage, uh… you remember talking to Trunks about those, um… voices?" Gohan asked before opening the bathroom door. He looked over his shoulder to see Majunior's expression.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, I… I think I had a dream about one." Majunior nodded.

"The child."

"…Yeah," Gohan smiled. Majunior returned it with a small smile of his own, but he still looked a little nervous. Gohan stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Majunior sighed and leaned against the all.

"So, he's already having dreams about the little child voice," Majunior mused. He slid his brown eyes over to his sleeping father. Goku was lying on his back, hair a mess, clothes and covers strewn topsy-turvy, mouth hanging wide open, arms askew.

Majunior chuckled. The man certainly was like a child.

Gohan's scream erupted from the bathroom. Goku's eyes snapped open. Majunior tore the door open, nearly tearing it off its hinges. Goku was right behind him in less than a second as he entered. Gohan was curled up in the bathtub, hands clutching his hair, knees drawn up to his chest, whispering, "No, no, no…" over and over again.

"Gohan, what's wrong, son?" Goku rushed to the side of the tub worriedly. Tears were streaming down Gohan's face. His skin was pale. His eyes were wide with terror.

"Daddy, I look like Radditz."

Indeed, with Gohan's long, spiky, unruly black hair and thinning face, he was a spitting image of his space tyrant uncle. Majunior's breath hitched in his throat. 'I knew I should have cut his hair when we came inside last year.'

"D-don't worry, Son," Goku stuttered, realizing that his son does, in fact, look like the man who kidnapped him as a young child and held a ransom of one hundred dead humans by the end of the day. Goku stroked the boy's hair.

"I'll cut it," Majunior whispered. He picked the little boy out of the tub gently and carried him into the kitchen. He took out a pair of scissors and turned back to the boy. Goku stood behind Gohan and stroked his long, black hair. The last remaining piece of proof that this warrior was once the baby Goku had held in his arms and taken for walks and comforted when he cried and chased butterflies into the woods where he'd have to search for him… Goku sighed and turned his head as Majunior chopped the memory away.

-

The cut didn't look half bad. It was similar to Majunior's, as expected, but the locks were thicker and longer.

"Who do you think cuts Trunks's hair? _Bulma_? Hah," he'd said. Gohan seemed comfortable with the new hairstyle.

"I like it this way," Gohan grinned, "At least it's not like how mom had it a few years ago. Whoa… that was six years ago, not a few." Gohan's eyes had widened. Goku couldn't look at him.

"Come on," Majunior motioned to the white abyss. "Let's train. We have a month left, and we need to get you to master your transformation."

"Yeah, but I need to _reach_ my transformation before I can _master_ it." Gohan bounced out onto the fighting ground, suddenly feeling light and worry-free. Majunior followed, a little bounce in his step as well. Goku followed quietly.

"Alright. Come on. Me and Goku versus you. Get ready." Majunior exploded into an aura of golden light. Goku followed suit. The two rose into the air, leaving Gohan standing on the floor.

"One, two…" Majunior fired a round of machine gun-like blasts before he said three, effectively catching the boy off guard. Goku joined in, but kept his blasts a little bit weaker. That was his child that he was firing these deadly explosions at.

"Come on, is that all you got?!" Gohan laughed wildly, feeling the adrenaline course through his veins. Where has he felt that before?

Majunior pulled his hands back, lacing his palms over his forehead. "Ma…" Goku looked at him as if he were out of his mind. "Sen…"

"No! Wait!"

"Ko-…" a hard punch landed on Majunior's cheek, sending him flying a few feet away.

"What the hell, Goku?!" Majunior rubbed his cheek.

"Do you want to kill him?!" Goku shouted. Gohan knitted his eyebrows together. What was with his dad? He wasn't normally so protective.

"No, I want to make him transform."

"Well you're going to kill him!"

"He can take it! I should know, I _am_ him!"

Gohan looked down at the floor. The new energy was sliding farther along his body, nearly filling him up. Where had it come from?

"You'll kill him, and then what will we do?"

"He won't die!"

"He will if you're too hard on him!"

Finally, it clicked. Gohan looked up at the bickering Saiyans, "Hey!" They both looked down on him.

_Save us all,_ the memory of the child's voice echoed off the walls of Gohan's mind.

"Come at me as if you were to kill me. If I die, then that will only prove I'm useless in battle. I need to prove myself. There are so many times where I've run away from a fight… where I've locked up out of fear… where I just stop thinking because things seem to move too fast. There was the time when I hit Radditz, then locked up and he knocked me out… then there was the time I didn't bounce Nappa back, instead I ran away… then there was the time Piccolo died because I was too scared to move… then there was the time Freeza almost killed me because I froze… then there was the time I didn't save Dende because it happened too quickly… then Pan got hurt…

"If I die, then that just proves that I do not have the power to save us all."

Goku straightened up, staring down at the little boy. No, Gohan wasn't a little boy anymore. Gohan is and has been a man. When was the last time he was a little boy? Before Goku died at the hands of Piccolo. Gohan's childhood innocence died right along with him. Goku looked over to Majunior. The hybrid- his son- gazed back.

It was barely noticeable. It was almost nonexistent. Majunior was very good at hiding it, but Goku could see it.

_Pain_.

"So come at me as if you were to kill me. That's the only way I will transcend." Majunior looked back down at him quietly.

"Actually, you've already transcended."

Gohan's eyes widened, "What?"

"Yes. When you were having the nightmare… you transcended. Think of your nightmare. What was it? How did the child make you feel?"

Gohan looked up at Majunior thoughtfully. "I felt…" his voice trailed off to a whisper. "…Overwhelming love…" the words were barely audible to Gohan's own ears. He looked ahead of him now. No one was there. He looked around him. No one. He recalled that, in his dream, he never looked up.

He let his eyes glance up at the sky.

He smiled.

His father was smiling down at him.

"Do it, Gohan. You can do it."

Gohan closed his eyes and concentrated on the images and feelings in his dream. He recalled the child's gentle voice in his ear and the energy crawling its way to his fingertips like honey sliding off a plate. It reached his fingertips and the energy burst out of his body, surrounding him with warmth. He saw the figure ahead of him behind his closed eyelids. He saw it disappearing. He looked to his left. He looked to his right. The people were still there.

Who were they?

When Gohan opened his eyes again. Golden light emanated from his body.

Gohan smiled up to the sky.

He did it.

-

TBC…

Longest chapter in a while huh? I hope you all liked it. It's my favorite chapter so far! Remember to review!

-don darko.


	18. I Am The Shadow On The Wall

Impasse

Author's note: I put all the chapters of _Impasse_ on one document today. Oh, my God.

-

Pan wrapped her shoelace around her bionic ankle before tying it in the front. When it pulled into a little bow, she sighed and sat back on her palms. Transforming really took a lot out of her. How did the guys make it look so easy? She glanced over to Vegeta, who was glaring death at her. She smirked.

"Hi, Veggie-head."

Vegeta growled, shot her the finger, and turned away to sulk. Bulma laughed softly and bounced little Trunks in her arm. "He's so angry. I'm so proud of you, Pan!" Pan grinned at her. She looked down at the baby and stuck her tongue out. Baby Trunks's eyes widened and he reached for her.

"Can I hold him?" Pan asked softly. "I've never held a baby before." Bulma nodded.

"And he's never been held by a little girl, either. Here, hold your arm like this and support his head. Careful."

Pan positioned her arm under Trunks's little diapered bottom and rested her palm on the back of his head. "He has a cute hat," she commented. Bulma smiled and nodded.

"I made it myself!"

"Have you always been in to making clothing?"

"Only recently. I think that if I can make spaceships, I can make clothes." Pan laughed. Trunks strolled over and plopped down on the pavement next to the two women. Baby Trunks leaned forward and clung to Pan's red shirt. He glared at his older counterpart aggressively.

"A little possessive, are we?" Trunks smirked at the baby. Baby Trunks puckered his lips in a little pout, but his glare didn't lighten up. Trunks laughed, "Don't worry, I'm possessive, too."

The two women smiled. Pan cocked her head at the baby, who copied her motion. Pan cocked her head in the other direction. Baby Trunks mimicked. Pan twisted her face in a goofy fashion and Baby Trunks giggled with delight. "Do I look funny to you?" Pan twisted her face again, making Baby Trunks giggle louder.

"Hey, guys," Pan called loud enough for the humans and Piccolo- who were nearby- could hear her. They paused their sparring for a moment. "Please don't tell my father or Gohan about my training. It would really upset them. They already have enough to think about, and I don't want them to get distracted with me."

"Well, okay, Pan, but I don't understand why you would hide your power in the first place. You could really be a strong asset to our team," Krillen mumbled. Yamucha agreed.

"Yeah, I mean, hiding all that power really seems like a waste."

"Don't you two know Gohan at all?" Piccolo growled; his eyes were closed in a meditative state, but he was still able to listen to the conversation. Yamucha and Krillen looked at each other. Piccolo continued, "Gohan was forced into battle at a young age. He never got the chance to be a kid. He doesn't want Pan to train because he doesn't want the blood of battle to taint her. The environment she had to grow up in was bad enough. Training to kill would just make the situation worse."

Pan nodded, "That's right." She studied Piccolo. The alien looked a lot scarier than how her father had described him. From the way Majunior talked about him, she knew he must have been a quiet guy, but this was beyond quiet. This was… frightening. Pan shivered.

But, he couldn't be that bad, right? After all, he's one of her father's earliest and best friends. She looked back down at the baby in her lap. Trunks was asleep, drooling slightly on her shirt. She twirled a tuft of lavender hair around her index finger and smiled.

Piccolo opened his eyes and climbed to his feet. "They're out." The three sitting on the steps pulled themselves up and turned to the opening where the three Son men would emerge. Pan felt her heart pounding against Baby Trunks's ear. Trunks swallowed the lump in his throat and narrowed his eyes.

Gohan was the first to step into the archway. His hair stood on end, golden in all his glory. His eyes glowed with the eerie teal light, pupil-less and shine free. His Saiyan armor was tattered and broken, but it was to be expected.

"Oh…" the group's eyes widened.

"He's grown up so much…" even Piccolo was shocked. His large, green-and-pink arms were trembling.

Goku stepped up behind him and grinned. His hair was standing up as well and his eyes matched his son's.

"Hey, guys. Can we eat? I'm starved!"

"You just ate," Majunior mumbled from behind his father. Goku's grin didn't falter as he stepped out of the way. Majunior was not in his Super Saiyan state. His hair remained black and eyes brown. Goku chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, but…"

"Daddy!" Pan shouted delightedly. She handed the sleeping baby to his mother carefully before running up the three short steps and jumping into Majunior's arms. The man caught her and spun her around happily.

"Pan!" Majunior enveloped the little girl in his larger arms. She squeaked and clenched her eyes shut.

"D-Daddy…"

"Oh, sorry," Majunior laughed weakly, "I guess… I forgot how strong I was. It's been so long since I hugged you- well, long for me, not long for you, but…"

"Daddy!" Pan laughed. Majunior grinned.

"Hi," he said. Pan smiled.

"Hi," she replied. She slid out of his arms and faced Gohan who was eagerly waiting his turn. Pan laughed softly, reared back, and launched herself into the smaller version of her father's arms. Gohan caught her effortlessly and hugged her tightly.

"You cut your hair!" she commented. "It looks nice."

"Yeah, Mage cut it for me. It was… becoming a burden." Goku drew his lips into a thin line and turned away. "And your wound's all healed!" Gohan grinned happily. Pan's heart raced for a moment, but she covered it up quickly with an enthusiastic nod. Majunior raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. She'd always been a fast healer. He looked up at Trunks, who was standing nearby.

"Jesus," Majunior sighed. Trunks was still taller.

"So, food?" Goku bounded off the steps and shot a hopeful look at Mr. Popo. The large man smiled happily.

-

"I'll never get used to this," Krillen grumbled, pulling his plate back, careful as not to let it get sucked up by one of the surrounding Saiyans. Goku and Vegeta were the worst with Gohan, Majunior, and Trunks coming right in on second. Pan just ate like a very hungry child instead of a living garbage disposal. At least she tasted her food.

"I don't think I will, either, Krillen, and I live with one," Bulma replied. She shot Vegeta a look, but his face was buried in a bowl of pasta.

As the food disappeared, the Saiyans sat back, one by one, and patted their full stomachs.

"Boy, Mr. Popo, you sure know how to cook!" Goku grinned and stretched. Majunior unconsciously let his fatherly instincts take hold and he wiped Pan's face with a napkin. She pouted and turned away, but ended up letting the man do as he pleased. She sighed. Fathers.

"Why thank you, Goku. Mister Popo is so delighted." Mr. Popo was smiling as always, even as he cleaned up the dishes. Gohan watched him nervously.

"Mr. Popo, do you want any help? I feel bad; a lot of those dishes are mine…"

"No, no, Gohan. It's just fine. Mr. Popo loves little treats like this- with Kami being a Namekian, and all… Mr. Popo had no one to cook for. How delightful!" Mr. Popo, surprisingly, was able to balance all the dishes and carry them into the albino building. Gohan turned back to the group.

"Here, you two," Piccolo motioned for Gohan and Majunior to come closer. Gohan grinned and hopped up, eagerly running to Piccolo's side. Majunior strolled over, a little more calm. Piccolo held up both hands and zapped the two hybrids.

"Wow!" Gohan's eyes widened with excitement. Majunior blinked.

"Wow," he mumbled in surprise.

The two hybrids were garbed in matching purple fighting uniforms, similar to Piccolo's, cape and all. Majunior cocked an eyebrow.

"Capes and booties?" he grinned. Piccolo's eyebrow twitched.

"They're not booties!"

"Okay," Majunior smiled. He pulled his cape off and sat it on the ground next to his feet. "Too hot for a cape."

"I love it!" Gohan's teal eyes sparkled and he looked up at Piccolo. The Namek shivered. Those eyes… "Thank you, Mister Piccolo!" Gohan bowed. Piccolo nodded.

"No problem, kid."

"So, Goku," Krillen whispered softly. "How did a whole year of Mage go?" Goku smiled.

"It wasn't all that bad. We stayed out of each other's way most of the time, so there wasn't a lot of conflict. He'd get angry when I'd ask him about his brain thing, though. He seems really touchy about it. I called him crazy once and he almost amputated my arm."

"Uh, brain thing?"

"Yeah, you know the thing that is wrong with his brain?"

"His Bipolar disorder, Goku."

"Is that what it's called?"

"Hey," Majunior called and turned back to the group. "How are we going to get the people that Cell and the Androids have killed back to life? Kami isn't here anymore, so the dragonballs won't work."

"Well, can't we just get a new Kami?" Pan asked. Majunior smiled weakly at her.

"It's not exactly a position anyone can fill…"

"Actually, the Nameks know a good bit about being guardians, don't they?" Gohan inserted. Piccolo nodded. Goku grinned.

"So if we can get one of them to come here and be guardian, then the dragonballs will work and we can wish back all those innocent people!" Goku hopped to his feet. "I know just the one, too!"

"Oh, boy, a new guardian!" Mr. Popo exclaimed happily as he walked out of the building.

"Goku, the Namekians live on a new planet, now. How are you going to find them?" Trunks asked. Goku winked and held up his index and middle finger.

"I'll look for energy signals similar to Piccolo's, that's all. Easy." Goku placed the two fingers to his forehead and closed his eyes to concentrate. The group quieted, watching eagerly. After a few moments, Goku pulled his fingers away again.

"I… I can't find 'em!" he laughed sheepishly. Beads of sweat rolled down each onlooker's face. "But I know where I can find them! Be right back!" Goku disappeared.

"I hope he finds them," Gohan mumbled. Majunior nodded in response.

Only a minute had passed when Goku returned, a large grin plastered on his face. "Hey, guys, say hello to Earth's new Kami!" A tiny, green being stepped out from behind his leg and waved. Majunior gulped.

"Hi everybody," Dende greeted shyly. Gohan bounded up to him and took his hands.

"Hi, Dende! Nice to see you again!" The two boys smiled at each other. Pan cocked her head to the side.

"So that's Dende?" she asked and looked up to her father. He nodded. Dende met eyes with the time traveler.

"Gohan from the future," Dende addressed. Majunior nodded.

"How do you know?" Gohan asked.

"Goku told us about your situation."

"Yes, Dende," Majunior affirmed gently. Trunks looked back and forth between the two.

"_I always saw Dende as the little brother I never had… before I met Trunks, anyway,"_ Pan recalled her father mentioning once. 'I wonder if Dende'll ever get as tall as Piccolo?' She looked up at the giant green man and back down at the tiny green boy. 'I doubt it.'

"Dragonballs, huh?" Dende looked at the sky thoughtfully. "I know I can make some new ones. Yes, I can make a new set in about four months!" he exclaimed happily. A bead of sweat dripped down Goku's forehead.

"B-but we don't have that much time! We need them in a week!"

"A week?" Dende looked frantic. "I can't make them _that_ fast! Aw man, my first _hour _on the job and I'm already messing up! Oh, wait…" Dende turned to Mr. Popo, "Is the model for Earth's dragon still in tact?"

Mr. Popo smiled and nodded. He ran inside to fetch the statue. Dende smiled in relief, "If I can get the statue, then I should be able to… you know, reprogram it. Well, as long as all the dragonballs are okay."

"They're all turned to stone right now, Dende…"

"That's fine. After I… reprogram the dragon's statue, all the dragonballs should come back to normal. Then we can gather them and make wishes again!"

"Wow, that'd be great, Dende!" Gohan exclaimed and hugged the smaller alien. Dende blushed deep purple.

"Aw, Gohan…"

"Here it is! Mr. Popo made this dragon all by himself. His name is Shenron." Mr. Popo gently placed a small, clear-top display case on the pavement in front of Dende's feet. Inside was an intricate model of a dragon, twisting and tying its body around the center. Dende smiled and took the top off.

"Wow! This dragon is so great. I can't wait to see it in real life. So complex!" He held his hands over the statue and closed his eyes. The surrounding Z Fighters watched the concentrated look on his face carefully.

Dende pursed his lips and his antennae twitched with the pulses of his energy. His palms and the dragon began to glow a peculiar black light. The statue trembled, a light buzzing noise pulsing from its center. After a few moments, Dende opened his eyes again.

"Last call for suggestions," Dende smiled. Krillen stepped forward slightly.

"Hey, Dende, can you make the dragon have three wishes like the one on Namek?"

"Well, yes, but its power will be weaker. I think I can make it have two wishes with the same power, though. Yes, I'm sure I can!"

"Alright, then!" Goku grinned excitedly. Dende nodded and closed his eyes again. The pulsing buzzing noise increased. A vortex of energy swirled around the dragon's statue, making it glow. The buzzing noise ended in a loud pop and all the energy was forcibly sucked into the statue's center.

"All done!" Dende opened his eyes and grinned. "The dragonballs should be returning to normal now."

"Great! So, I'll go collect them. Bulma, do you have your radar on you?" Goku turned to her and pleaded with his eyes. She rolled hers and smiled, picking a capsule out of her box and tossing it to him. He caught it with ease. He clicked the button and the little capsule burst in a puff of yellow smoke.

"Ah, there we go! Let's see…" he clicked the button at the top of the round radar. It immediately located the nearest dragonball and beeped. "Yes, it's working!" Goku was nearly jumping with joy. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to find all of them." He turned to leave.

"Go!" Pan whispered and jabbed her father with her bionic foot. He let a strangled noise escape his throat and he looked down at his little daughter.

"…That hurt."

"Go!" Pan's eyebrows knitted together as she glared up at her father. Majunior bit his lip and looked up at Goku, who was staring at him curiously.

"…Do you want to go, Mage?" he asked. Majunior began to say no, but changed his mind when Pan jammed her foot into the back of his calf again.

"Tch… yes…" Majunior glared down at Pan. She smiled innocently and turned away. He rolled his eyes.

-

"Uh, so…" Goku tried to make small-talk. Majunior bit his lip, studying the ground carefully as he and his father soared through the air. Goku sighed. "I don't understand."

"What?"

"You were so… different when you and Trunks showed up the first time," Goku looked down at Majunior. The man refused to make eye contact.

"I haven't changed."

"The first human thing you did was hug me and cry all over me. Now you won't even look me in the eye or acknowledge me as your father. What happened?"

"I was… emotional."

"Bullshit!" Goku cursed and stopped in midair. Majunior slowed to a stop as well, but still wouldn't look up at the other man. "You weren't just being emotional. You were letting the Gohan I know come out. Now you've got him all chained up and locked into a corner of your heart. _Why_?"

"Because when I saw you for the first time in… what? I've lost count. Eighteen years? More? After seeing you leave me when I was so young… that look on Mom's face… the way she screamed at me…" Majunior began to tremble. "I did something very terrible when you died… I got so _angry_ at you for leaving Mom and me. I was too young; I didn't understand why you didn't fight. I thought you'd left us on purpose. But at the same time I knew that you died because I wasn't fast enough. I didn't get the Senzu beans to you in time.

"I… I let my emotions take control of me… I struck you… everything else is a blur. There was so much blood on the wall… Mom was screaming; for me to get out or just screaming in general- I didn't know. I couldn't tell.

"I know it was Piccolo who dragged me out of there. I could feel it… the anger, the rage… it took me over. Even though we were so far away from anyone else, I could hear children crying… little screams and whimpers, like I was killing a child with every breath I took.

"When I woke up, I was in Piccolo's lap. He told me what happened, what I did, and what it did to me. His exact words are still fuzzy, but he told me about my transcending to Super Saiyan. After that, I could only transform when I was furious.

"The last time I saw Mom was at her funeral. After I… killed you, I couldn't stand to look into her eyes again… I was so afraid that she'd hate me. I ran away and lived with Bulma for a while, working around the Corporation and doing odd jobs. I did see Mom once more, the day she died… it was my entire fault. If I hadn't been yelling at her, she wouldn't have run that stoplight… she would have seen that truck… she would still be here… But the last look she gave me, the one I'd feared since I ran away… it was the last one before she was killed.

"After she died, I snapped. At the time, I felt it was the Trucker's fault. I felt he was the one who murdered my mother. So I killed him. Then I began my rampages through cities… competing with the Androids' kill counts… I thought I was doing a _good _thing, Dad… I thought that by killing anyone who could possibly pose a threat to anyone else… I was _helping _mankind. But one incident forced me to change my mind, so I ran to Bulma again. She… _fixed_ me. It seemed so easy to do.

"I eventually went into high school and met Pan's mother. After a few years, though, before she died… I saw her again after high school. I… she and I made Panny, but she was already engaged to someone else.

"I saw her once more, the day before she died. I killed her, Dad… oh, God… it was just like when Mom died… She looked at me the same way Mom did… then she died."

Goku swallowed the lump in his throat, listening carefully. The radar still beeped steadily, like a heartbeat. Majunior continued, "So, when I saw you, I felt all the locked-up emotions that I'd been pushing down since the day you died come out. All the pain, all the sorrow, all the anger… I thought that you, somehow, could fix it. You could make me better. You could make me sane. I honestly thought you could _heal_ me. You can't. You don't see me as your son, so I can't see you as my father. I can't do that to Gohan. I can't take his father away and make you my own. I don't want Gohan to turn into me."

Majunior was holding his head now. His shoulders were trembling. His voice was straining. Goku moved closer and hugged him gently.

"Ma-… Gohan," Goku whispered. Majunior choked, curling away from the full-blood. "You're still my son. You're my Gohan. No matter what you do, I'll always love you. My death wasn't your fault- you couldn't have stopped it even if you had gotten back with the Senzu beans. I was meant to die. There is a reason for everything. You didn't kill your mother, either. She loves you just as much as I do. She knows as well as I do that none of it was your fault, Son. Don't be your own scapegoat."

Majunior bit his lip, still trying to choke back the emotions. The child in his head was wailing. "What reason was there to you dying?!" he looked up at Goku with angry, bloodshot brown eyes. Goku smiled gently.

"Well, if I didn't die, you wouldn't have run to Bulma's. Bulma wouldn't have sent you to high school. You wouldn't have met Pan's mother. You wouldn't have had Pan. Pan wouldn't be here." Majunior trembled, his eyes widening.

"Panny…" he whispered.

"I just wish you could be my little boy again, Gohan… the one who cries to me when he scrapes his knee and his eyes make me say yes when Mom says no. I want the baby I took for walks and shushed when he cried. You've always had a lot of nightmares, Gohan, and I remember staying up with you all night to keep the monsters away. But after I came back to life the first time… when Vegeta was here… I was surprised to see you. I expected my little boy, but I saw a man. A child who grew up too fast. You were never that little child again because of me. It's my fault.

"You've done a good job with your little girl, Gohan, much better than I- I'm ashamed to say- than I have ever done with you. I'm so sorry, Gohan. Please, please forgive me. I shouldn't have let you down like this. I should have been around you more; spent more time with you. I love you, Gohan, and I only want you to love me, too."

Majunior turned to the full-blood and hugged him tightly, as if holding on for his life. Goku hugged him back and stroked his hair. He pushed his cheek against the time traveler's midnight hair. He smiled and laughed softly, making Majunior look up at him in curiosity.

"You know, when you were a toddler, your grandfather gave you a Superman comic book. Chichi had a fit, but you were so interested, she couldn't help but let you read it. After you finished reading it, you came into the kitchen, and… and your mom asked you how you liked it. You said… you said, 'My daddy is Supa-man.'" Majunior laughed softly, a blush tinting his cheeks. Goku smiled down at him, 'He looks like a little kid again when he smiles like that.'

"I remember when we were taking a bath in the oil drum outside. We had a breath-holding competition, but Mom started tickling me and made me come up too soon because Icarus was in the yard. Mom said I couldn't keep him, but you said I could. You even helped me pick out a nice home for him to live in…"

"When you were a baby, we were going on a walk by the flowers. I was supposed to be holding your stroller, but it slipped away and you went flying down the hill. You'd have crashed into the tree, but somehow you drilled a hole right through it, all on your own… I knew you were always a special kid. I was so proud you were _my_ kid. I still am, every day."

Majunior buried his face in his father's chest, enjoying the moment of being a kid once more. He let out a long, content sigh, and looked up at Goku again.

"I'm proud to be your son, too, Dad."

-

Pan stretched, unleashing a gigantic yawn. Gohan laughed and poked her tongue.

"Hmm, I should start on my homework," he mumbled and decapsulated his bookbag.

"Me, too!" Dende smiled happily and retrieved his books, too. Gohan stared, wide-eyed.

"Wow, guardians have homework, too?"

"Well yeah. It takes a lot of studying to be a good guardian," Dende replied, smiling a mile a minute. He and Gohan crouched over the steps and flipped open their text books. Pan watched with little interest.

"You and Dad are really into your work," she commented. Gohan looked up and smiled. Pan smiled back and pulled her books out of her bookbag as well. "I remember when I was little that Dad and I would skip to school. I never knew why, though." Gohan tapped his pencil on his chin idly.

"It's because children who can skip well can also read well. If a child skips poorly, then it is widely believed that that child can also read poorly. Now, which sounds more fun to practice: skipping or reading?" Gohan smiled happily and marked the answer to a math equation. -1- Pan blinked and looked down at her textbook.

"Can you read well?" Dende asked.

"Actually, yes." Pan's eyes widened. Gohan laughed.

"See, you'd been learning to read before you even knew it!" Pan laughed, too.

"Hey, kids," Bulma strolled over to the three children. Baby Trunks babbled happily in her arms. When the baby locked eyes with Pan, however, his babbling was the last thing he wanted at that moment. He reached his chubby, tan little arms out to the girl. Pan laughed and offered to take him. Bulma handed him over a little too willingly. "Geez, that kid's getting heavy," she sighed and popped her back. Gohan grinned and looked down at the infant.

"Hey, Trunks. I haven't seen you in a while." The baby- with one fist clinging to Pan's shirt- reached out to clutch Gohan's golden locks. Dende laughed.

"He can't seem to decide who he wants." Baby Trunks looked over to the new voice curiously. Dende's laugh became slightly nervous. A bead of sweat dripped down his face. "I've never seen a human baby before. They're much bigger than Namekian babies. Their eggs must be huge." Trunks chucked as he walked up from behind the Namekian.

"Dende, human babies aren't born by eggs. They're born straight from their mothers' bodies." Dende's nose wrinkled. He looked back to the baby, then up at Bulma. His mouth pulled into a tight frown.

"Ouch. Just think if the mother had to have more than one." Bulma laughed and patted Dende's head.

"You have much to learn, God."

"You know, it's really warm up here for October. Where we've been staying, it's usually freezing by now," Pan smiled and answered a Chemistry question. Bulma looked over to her and smiled.

"It's always warm up here, Pan. Top of the world and all that. Perfect heaven, yadda yadda yadda," Krillen commented nonchalantly as he walked up to the small group of studiers.

Krillen smiled and looked at the three children; all buried in their text books. Even Baby Trunks was attempting to help with their homework by shaking a pencil and listening to the lead inside rattle. His helping abruptly ended as soon as he shoved the end of the tool in his mouth, however.

"Gah… so… much… homework… bringing back… bad memories… of Math class…" Krillen laughed bashfully.

-

"One, two, three, four, five, six… gah! Where's the Seven-Star ball?!" Majunior exclaimed frantically and looked around. Goku laughed and dropped it on the hybrid's head. Pan giggled at the comfortable display between father and son. Her little plan worked!

"Okay, everyone. Now, after you guys kill Cell, we can call on the dragon and wish everyone back to life. Here's to a job well done!" Dende smiled.

Trunks glanced over to Majunior, who was letting Pan climb onto his shoulders. The man looked strangely blissful; happier than he's looked in years. Trunks looked up at Pan. The little girl winked at him. 'Oh, Pan, you little devil. You know your father too well.'

"So, after the Namekian _goes in_ to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Vegeta shot an angry glare at Piccolo, "and stops wasting his sweet, sweet time, then I will go in again."

"I think Gohan, Mage, and I will stay out here and live out the rest of the days in peace," Goku smiled. The two Son boys looked at him incredulously.

"R-really Daddy? You don't think we should train?" Gohan looked up at the man, eyes full of worry. Goku placed a large, warm hand on the boy's head.

"I think we should just rest now, Son. We've done everything we can do."

"Please tell me you have a trump card or know Cell's weakness or _something_," Majunior begged. Goku merely smiled. Pan twisted a lock of silky black hair around her finger.

"I like it," she stated quietly. Majunior looked up at her. She smiled at him and placed an innocent kiss on his forehead. "I trust him." Majunior sighed and nodded.

"In that case, Trunks, you're taking a break, too!" Bulma said and grasped a wad of long, purple hair. Trunks flinched and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're going to stay in Capsule Corp."

"Yes, ma'am…"

"You'll take care of your little brother and keep your grandfather company."

"Yes ma- wait, little brother?" Trunks did a double take. Bulma smiled and bounced the baby in her arms gently.

"Might as well be."

"So, then. We'll see you all October twenty-fifth? Right outside the Cell Games arena?" Goku questioned, looking around at the faces of his friends. Each one nodded firmly.

"October twenty-fifth, bright and early."

-

TBC…

-1- This is true. A child who can skip well can also read well.

Ugh. Thirteen pages of story. –slams head against desk- I hope you all are liking it! Next chapter is the start of the Cell Games. Woo hoo!

Reviews = Next Chapter

-don darko.


	19. I'll Be The One To Save Us All

Impasse

Author's note: I got a 2-liter bottle of Coke, Nine Inch Nails's "Capital G," and four hours of sleep. Bring on the longass 20-page chapter, baby! YEAHHH.

-strikes Saiyaman poses-

-

"Why the _hell_ do you keep coming over here, child? Get away from me!" Vegeta growled angrily. Pan strolled around the large locker room.

"Well, I didn't come just to bother you this time, Veggie-head," Pan smiled. "Daddy, Goku, Gohan, and Gramma are here, too. I'm supposed to stay here with Miss Bulma."

"Can't you see that I'm changing clothes?!" Vegeta's face steamed red- from anger or embarrassment- and he adjusted the Saiyan spandex that he was using to cover himself. "Jesus, you Sons have no sense of shame!"

"What's there to be ashamed of?" Pan tilted her head.

"_Get out_!" Vegeta shouted and fired an energy blast in her direction. The little girl laughed and ran out of the locker room. Vegeta took a deep breath and pulled the spandex over his head. "Stupid girl, walking in on me while I'm naked…" He looked at the singe mark of where his energy blast landed. He growled again. "Why isn't she afraid of me? She's always pushing my buttons and pressing her luck. Then when I get angry, she laughs. What is she?!" He mused as he locked his armor into place. In mid-lock, his eyes widened in horror. "Was she… flirting with me?! Gah!"

-

"Alright…" Majunior gazed at the faces of his loved ones. It was October twenty-fifth. As Cell said, it was either doomsday or victory day. They'd find out by tonight.

"We'll be rooting for you guys," Bulma said softly and held up a soft, pale hand. Baby Trunks sat quietly in her arms. The little tyke studied the warriors in front of him. Although he did not know exactly what was going on, his strong Saiyan instincts told him that now was not a good time to make a lot of noise. The ones who were staying behind stepped forward to wish each member good luck.

Chichi bent down and hugged her young son. Gohan hugged her back, "We'll be home in time for dinner, Mom." Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"You'd better be, kiddo, you have homework to do…" she forced a weak laugh. Gohan wiped the tears off her cheeks. She stood up and stepped away, letting Pan take her turn. The little girl hugged him.

"Stay safe, Panny," he whispered to her. She bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"Yes… I'll be safe. Don't worry."

Chichi looked up at Majunior, who suddenly found his shoes to be quite interesting. She smiled and pulled his head up by his chin, making him look her in the eyes.

"It's not your fault, Gohan." Majunior's breath quickened slightly. Goku had told her? Well, of course he had. Chichi was his wife, and Majunior was her son. Of course he'd tell her. Majunior nodded his head slightly. Chichi smiled.

"Good luck, Veggie-head," Pan smiled up at the Saiyan prince. Vegeta snorted and looked away. Stupid little girl. Pan looked over to her grandfather, "Good luck to you, too, Papa." Goku almost choked. She'd never addressed him as anything close to being family-like before. Pan hugged his leg. "Do what you do best." She then turned to Trunks. Trunks smiled gently at her and bent down to her level. She wrapped her little arms around his neck. He whispered so only she could hear, "You'd better stay safe, or I'll never hear the end of it from your father." Pan smiled and nodded.

"Daddy," Pan looked up at Majunior. The man bent down in front of her and offered a hug. She walked into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his larger, paler arms around her tiny frame. "I love you, Daddy. Don't hold back on Cell. Give it everything you have. I know you can do it, Daddy. I trust you'll do the right thing." Majunior nodded and stroked her back soothingly.

"I love you, too, Panny."

As the Z Warriors turned to take their leave, Chichi placed a hand on Goku's shoulder. He turned to her questioningly.

"Goku, please promise me… that you won't let Gohan fight."

Goku pulled his lips into a frown and looked to the ground. Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and blasted into the air. Chichi gasped in horror.

"No! Come back! Promise me, Goku! _Promise me_!"

-

"_Hey_! This is ZTV, coming to you _live_ with the _Cell Games_!" the reporter shouted into the microphone. The cameraman shushed him frantically, pointing to the lone figure standing in the arena. The reporter squeaked and backed away from the ring a few more feet.

"A-anyway… this is the… the monster, Cell. Today is October twenty-fifth, the day that will either be the end for all mankind or the victory. Hey- look at that! Some fighters are approaching! What are they flying on? I can't see! Hey, zoom in! Zoom in!"

"I can't they're moving too fast. Geez, look at those guys' hair! They look like clowns! And the big green guy! Hah!"

"They don't appear to be riding on _anything_, ladies and gentlemen! What is this, some kind of magic show? This is life or death, not entertainment!" the reporter stated frustratedly.

The Z Fighters landed just outside of Cell's arena. The monster looked up at them and grinned wickedly, "Well, I was beginning to think that no one would show." Goku smirked.

"We wouldn't miss this party for the world."

"E-excuse me!" the reporter stumbled up to the newcomers. The Z Fighters looked at one another, then back down at the skinny reporter. "We are reporting live to ZTV. Tell me, are you all going to be taking Cell on in the Games?" he held the microphone up to Goku's mouth eagerly. The camera zoomed in on Goku's face.

"Of course we are," he smiled. The reporter faltered for a moment and covered his mouth as if you stifle a laugh. Trunks glared at him. The reporter turned to the purple-haired prince.

"And you," he said and shoved the microphone up to Trunks's mouth, "is that hairdo real? Are you seriously going to fight Cell? You don't look the least bit intimidating, I'm afraid. Your hair is _purple_, for God's sake." Trunks's eye twitched.

"You want me to be _intimidating_?" he growled dangerously. The reporter stepped back. His arm brushed against Gohan's cape.

"Are you going to be fighting, too, little boy?" Gohan nodded once. The reporter laughed, "Oh? Where's your mother? Does she know about this?" Majunior rolled his eyes. The reporter adjusted his glasses and glared up at the time traveler. "What? Do you have something to say?" Majunior snatched the microphone from the reporter's hands.

"Yeah, get the fuck out. This isn't a place for a damn news crew." He twisted the microphone into dust. Vegeta smirked.

-

At CC, the others were crowded around the television. Majunior's cursing came out as censored bleeps, making Master Roshi laugh hysterically.

"Oh, that boy's got a mouth, he does!" the old man said as he wiped a tear away. Bulma tried to look horrified as she covered Baby Trunks's ears, but couldn't help the snicker that escaped her lips.

Pan sat near the side of the small group. She looked up at them. It was Miss Bulma, Gramma, Grandpa Ox, Dr. Briefs, Bunny, Baby Trunks, Roshi, Puar, and Oolong. Even Yajirobe and Korin joined the group to watch the Games. She looked back at the television screen where her father, Gohan, Papa, Trunks, Piccolo, Krillen, Yamucha, Tien, and Vegeta were watching. The reporter was shouting something about the World Champion had finally arrived. She looked back at the group watching the television.

Yep, they were all distracted.

Slowly, quietly, and carefully, she slipped away from them and out the door. She took an orange capsule out of her pocket and opened it. A chain anklet landed in her hand. Pan smirked and attached it around her bionic ankle. The accessory whirred; the tiny beads each lit up.

"When I see Ma again, I'll have to thank her for this thing," she looked up at the sky. The little accessory had been made for her when she was a youngster to mask her energy and allow her to hide from the androids more easily. It would come in handy today, as well.

She lifted off and blasted toward the Cell Games arena.

-

"Don't look at him," Trunks whispered. Majunior's eye twitched. Hercule laughed loudly, planting his fists on his hips. Trunks purposely kept himself between the two, acting as a human shield (more for Hercule's sake rather than Majunior's).

"I can't stand him," Majunior released a frustrated sigh. Hercule struck a pose and showed off his large, tan muscles. Majunior shook his head. "He's not seriously competing, is he?"

Hercule turned to the hybrid with fire in his eyes. "What'd you just say, punk?! If you got something to say, say it to my _face_! Haaa, yeah!" Hercule grinned widely and pointed his finger at the other man. Majunior's palm itched to slap the Champ silly. Goku smiled apologetically and placed a hand on Majunior's shoulder.

"Hey, I'll go first, okay? Then we can leave and you won't get the chance to kill poor Hercule…"

"Oh, no! A clown like you won't last in the ring for more than a minute. Allow me to go first!" Hercule huffed and stepped forward. His students stopped him quickly.

"Please, Mister Hercule, allow us to go in for you," said a skinny, blonde prettyboy. An enormous man wearing a steel, elephant-like helmet and the two students' attractive, animated manager agreed. Majunior sighed and blushed, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"Oh, no… Pizza, Caroni, and Pirozhki." Goku looked at him curiously.

"Do you know them, Gohan?" he asked. Majunior nodded shamefully.

"In my timeline, yes. I remember them demonstrating Hercule's fighting style when I was in high school," he grumbled.

"So, if Cell doesn't kill them now, I might get to see them when I go to high school?" Gohan questioned. His older counterpart smiled softly and planted a warm palm on the top of Gohan's head.

"You'll get a good laugh."

Needless to say, the two men were wiped out in no time. They, thankfully, were left fatally unharmed. Majunior stifled a laugh.

"Could this possibly mean…?! Yes! Our Champ! Our Hercule is going to fight Cell!" the reporter exclaimed into his spare microphone. Hercule puffed up his chest and stepped confidently into the ring.

"I give him five minutes," Krillen mumbled so only the other Z Fighters could hear.

"Two," Trunks replied.

"Eleven seconds," Majunior challenged.

"Look at that gleam in our hero's eye, folks! I don't think Cell stands a chance! O-oh! What's the Champ doing, now?! Is that a… capsule?! It is! He's opening it… Oh, a gym bag! What will those geniuses at Capsule Corporation come up with next?!" The reporter was nearly jumping with joy. Hercule opened the bag and pulled out stone tile by stone tile, piling them on top of each other in a neat little tower.

"What's the Champ doing now?" the reporter leaned in. Pizza, the red-headed manager, smiled and held her own microphone up to her ruby red lips.

"Hercule is demonstrating his newest warm up! He's going to break each and every one of these tiles at the same time!"

"What?! That's crazy!" the reporter's eyes bugged out. Hercule stacked the last tile on the top. "That's… twelve, thirteen, fourteen… _fifteen_ tiles, ladies and gentlemen!!" Hercule lifted his hand in the air. He concentrated for a moment, a deep rumbling vibrating from the depth of his throat. With a sharp battle cry, he brought his hand down and busted all but one tile.

"Ohhh! One left! Well, that was fourteen tiles, folks! That's still absolutely amazing!" Hercule smirked and looked away, hiding his throbbing hand from the cameras.

"_Are you ready, Cell_?!" Hercule shouted. Cell didn't even bother to roll his magenta eyes. He stood like a statue, arms crossed, legs locked. Hercule began running toward him. He drew his fist back, ready to strike, but in less than a second he found his face colliding with the cold, ungrateful cliff face.

A bead of sweat dripped down Pizza's and the reporter's face.

"Well, damn…" the reporter cursed under his breath.

"O-oh, no! My Champ!" Pizza worried frantically. The reporter glanced back at the ring.

"Look! That clown with the golden hair is getting into the ring!"

-

Pan blinked. She blinked again. Man, was her human grandfather ever strange.

"He wasn't even trying to defend his left side. It was completely open. Just smacking him like that was the least of the least that Cell could have done to him." Pan tiptoed out from behind her hiding place and toward the general area where her grandfather had been tossed. As she ran, she was very careful to steer clear of being seen by her father or any of the Z Fighters.

She reached where Hercule was lying on the ground, unmoving. She gasped, "Grampa! Grampa, wake up!" She held him up by the collar of his fighting uniform and shook him lightly. His blue eyes snapped open and he sat up straight, but howled in pain and fell back to the ground, his hands nursing the wound on his face.

"Lemme see, lemme see…" Pan offered gently and pulled Hercule's hands away from his face with surprising strength. He looked up at her curiously.

"What are you doin' here, kid? This isn't a playground!" he lectured, pointing to his wounded face. Pan smiled sheepishly and used her bandanna to wipe the blood and dirt away.

"I'm a competitor," she replied. She looked over her shoulder where her alien grandfather was going head-to-head with the green monster. -1-

"Oh, I get it. You're with those magic show freaks!" He glared and sat back up; a bit slower this time. Pan smiled gently.

"I'm not going to argue with you that it's not a magic show, because the truth would be even more difficult to explain, not to mention unbelievable to a normal human being."

Hercule cocked an eyebrow.

"You're pretty smart for a kid. You remind me of my daughter."

Pan laughed and scratched the back of her head in her father's and grandfather's famous habitual fashion. Hercule smirked. Whose heart couldn't melt for that face? Pan plucked an aloe vera leaf nearby and squirted some of the goo onto her finger.

"This is going to burn a little, but it will help your wound heal," she warned and gently massaged the goo into the Champ's cut. He flinched, but soon enough the aloe began to sooth the burning. Pan smiled victoriously. Hercule cocked his eyebrow again.

"Hey, kid, do I know you?" he asked. Pan tilted her head and looked at him curiously. "Yeah, yeah I do. I remember your face. Two years ago… at the fair. Yeah! You're that little kid who beat me in my race!"

"Yep, that's me!" Pan smiled again. Hercule broke out with a real laugh. Pan noted it was much more pleasant than those phony, 'dangerous' laughs that the man tried to pull all the time.

"Ah, yeah! I know you're a fighter, kid. A real warrior. Like my daughter! Haah!" An explosion interrupted Hercule's victory laugh. Instinctually, he pulled the girl closer and shielded her from the oncoming dust and rock. When the harsh winds stopped assaulting them, Pan peeked out from under Hercule's arm. She gasped.

"Oh, no, he destroyed the ring! Papa!" her expression was one of horror. Hercule glared at the green monstrosity only known as Cell.

"That creep! What'd he go and do that for?!"

Pan pushed herself to her feet and started for the ring, but she was stopped by a firm hand on her arm.

"Wait, kid! You can't go near there. You'll be killed!"

Pan looked down at the hand on her arm. Hercule was strong for a human, granted. Easily the strongest human next to Krillen, Yamucha, and Tien. His knuckles were turning white from squeezing Pan's arm. Hercule noticed her staring, so he loosened his grip.

"I can't let you die, kid," Hercule mumbled.

"I won't die," Pan promised. She smiled at Hercule.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Pan Son," she replied. Hercule nodded.

"I can't let you die, Pan, because…" he stuttered. Pan nodded understandingly.

"I remind you of your daughter."

"…Yeah. Same face, same hair, same skin, same movements, same voice, same… personality. You remind me so much of my little Videl."

Pan smiled, "Then let me save her." Hercule's eyes widened. He pulled the girl back.

"Hey, tell me… if it's not a magic show, what is it?" Pan laughed and shook her head.

"Long story."

"Give me the short version, then," he insisted.

"Well…" Pan mumbled softly and glanced back at the crater that used to be the ring. She sighed in relief when she saw Goku and Cell duking it out just above the area.

"Come on, tell me. I'll keep it a secret. You can trust me."

Pan looked down at her future grandfather. She sat down in the dust, but he still didn't let go of her arm.

"Those golden-haired people over there are aliens called Saiyans. The one fighting Cell now is a full-blood Saiyan; the little golden-haired boy and the guy with all the scars are only half-blood Saiyans, though. Their mother is human. The golden-haired man in the funny blue armor is also a full-blood Saiyan; his son is the purple-haired guy, who is a half Saiyan- human mother. I'm the daughter of the man with all the scars- my mother is completely human, making me only about a fourth Saiyan, but I'm completely capable of performing the acts they will be performing here today. It's not all magic, it's real. Everything they do- flying, blowing things up, moving really fast- it's all from manipulating mass amounts of energy. Anyone who has the right amount of energy and practice can do the same things we can."

She looked up at Hercule and, to her surprise, he seemed to be absorbing the information like a sponge. Pan smiled.

"So, you're an earthbound alien who can murder with a flick of your wrist?" Hercule asked slowly. Pan hesitated, but nodded.

"That's an awful way to put it; I'm not like that at all. But yes, if I really wanted to, I could blow up an entire solar system and still get home before my bedtime."

Hercule was silent for a moment. Pan could almost hear the wheels turning in his brain, processing the information. Finally, Hercule's eyes widened, the corners of his mouth pulled up, and he laughed aloud.

"That," he began, "is _so COOL._"

Pan laughed softly. Her heart was racing. Why? Was she really afraid that this man would ridicule her, reveal her family and friends to the public, and expose their secrets so they'd live in shame for the rest of their lives?

Well, that's ridiculous.

Pan's ear twitched and she looked back at the arena. Goku and Cell had stopped fighting. Hercule leaned in, concentrating.

"What? What are they saying? Can you hear them, Pan?" Pan nodded.

"Papa… he gave up!"

-

"Oh, no!" Chichi cried. "How could he just give up like that?!" She turned to the Ox King and buried her face in his large chest. He patted her back numbly.

"I don't know, Chi. That's not like Goku at all!"

"What's he up to?" Bulma mumbled under her breath. She looked around the room and noticed something amiss. "Uh, guys, where's Pan?"

"Bulma, dear!" Dr. Briefs called from the hallway leading to the laboratory. "Have you seen 16 anywhere around? I have to tell him about the bomb that we removed from his body." Bulma shook her head slightly.

"No. He isn't in the lab?"

"Well he was this morning, but he's gone off and disappeared now."

Chichi looked around, searching everywhere for the little lost girl, even in places that would be impossible for her to hide in. "Panny's not here, either," she mumbled. The two women looked at each other. "You don't think…"

"The Cell Games…" Bulma's eyes widened in horror. Chichi was quiet for a moment, and then she fainted.

-

Majunior's face twisted into horror and disbelief, much like the fighters around him. Goku smiled and looked up at the cliff where his friends were standing. Cell laughed cruelly.

"So, I guess this means- seeing as there are no more competitors- that I win!"

"Not so fast, Cell," Goku shook his head. He pointed up to the cliff side. "There's still one more person for you to battle. Come on down… Son!" Majunior and Gohan looked at each other in shock. Cell laughed harder.

"You want me to battle those two when _you_ can't even beat me? What a riot! But, alright, if you wish, Goku," Cell smirked and crossed his perfect arms over his perfect chest. Goku floated up to the cliff.

"Are you crazy, Goku?!" Piccolo scolded. Goku ignored him and walked over to the two Son boys. He kneeled down to Gohan's height and smiled at the little boy.

"Will you fight in my place, kid?" Goku smiled. Gohan's golden eyebrows knitted together.

"But, Dad, you weren't even using your full power! Why'd you quit?"

"Actually, Son, I was. You didn't realize it because… well, you were comparing your energy to mine," he said and he stood up, looking into Majunior's eyes. "Isn't that right?"

"Is that true? Gohan? Mage?" Piccolo questioned. The two hybrids looked at each other solemnly and nodded.

"Yeah, it's true," they confirmed. Goku nodded.

"So, whose first?" he asked with a smile. The two boys looked at one another again, searching for an agreement.

"Why don't you let them both come at me, Goku?" Cell offered. Goku smirked.

"If you insist." The Son boys straightened up. Gohan pulled his cape off, matching Majunior's capeless preference. Majunior quickly transcended to Super Saiyan. As they stood side-by-side, Goku noted, they were unmistakably the same person. Goku nodded.

"I'm rooting for you, guys. Take him out." Majunior and Gohan nodded simultaneously and blasted off to the ring. Goku looked over to Krillen. "Hey, Krillen, can I have a Senzu bean, please?" Krillen nodded and dug into the small sack.

"Oh, sure, Goku. Here you go," he tossed a bean to his childhood friend. Goku caught it.

"Thanks. Hey, Cell! Catch," he shouted and threw the bean at the enemy. Trunks panicked.

"Goku! What the hell are you doing?!"

"I don't think it's fair that Cell has to go two-on-one while he's weakened like that." Trunks slapped his forehead.

"That's it. He's gone nuts."

Cell swallowed the bean gratefully and smiled. Energy pulsed through him. "Ah, that was a wonderful little bean. How magnificent," he looked down at the two boys ahead of him.

"Okay, Gohan, we'll work together," Majunior looked down at his younger counterpart. Gohan nodded affirmatively. Together, the two powered up, making a small crater beneath their feet, thanks to their energy pressuring against it.

Majunior and Gohan stood their ground, even as Cell rushed at them. Together they moved, mirror images of one another. One Gohan moves left, the other Gohan moves right. One Gohan goes up, the other Gohan goes down. They faced each other as they fought, acting as if they were magnets repelling each other; never touching, yet echoed flawlessly.

But, they never hit Cell. They were both completely defensive as they studied Cell's attacks carefully.

"Are you two scared to attack?" Cell grinned wickedly. The two Son boys didn't have to look at each other for the answer.

"We'll give you a chance to give up, Cell," Gohan began.

"Because if you don't, we will be the only ones walking out of this fight," Majunior finished, dodging an attack. Gohan copied his motions with utmost expertise. Cell laughed and swung his leg at the younger Gohan, who blocked. Majunior imitated him.

"If you really think that either of you will be walking out of this fight, you're sadly mistaken. With the way you're fighting now, you'll never win." Cell took off in Majunior's direction, aiming to fire an energy blast, but at the last minute turned around and sent Gohan flying instead. The young boy crashed into a nearby cliff face, buried under the solid rock.

-

"Gohan!" Pan shouted in horror. She covered her mouth to stifle a cry. Hercule bent down next to her and put his arm around her little shoulders.

The two had made it back to the arena just in time to see Gohan collide with the cliff. The reporter mumbled solemnly into the microphone, presuming the young boy to be dead. After all, what human could survive that? Pizza looked over to the Champ with pleading eyes.

"Oh, Herc! You gotta do somethin'!" she insisted. "Please He- what? Whose that?" she pointed down to the little girl trembling in his arms. The camera shifted down to her. Hercule growled and swatted at the cameraman.

"What's wrong with you?! You gonna go and put her on worldwide television?! Stop that!"

"What the… look! Look!" Pan stood up and pointed to the cliff. Gohan walked out of the rocks with nothing more than surface wounds. Pan grinned and hopped up and down. "Yeah! Yeah! Go, Gohan! Yay!" she cheered. Hercule got up and cheered with her.

Pizza and the reporter looked at each other in confusion.

-

Gohan stared at Cell sternly, almost mocking him. Cell smirked.

"Glad to know this fight may just be worth it," he grinned. Majunior joined Gohan by his side and walked with him, in step, toward the green monster. "But only if you actually _fight me_."

"We're still offering you that chance to quit now and leave to never bother Earth or anyone again," Gohan instructed.

"If you choose not to, we'll just have to kill you," Majunior finished. Cell laughed.

"How are you so sure that you will be able to beat me?" he asked confidently. The Son boys glanced at one another. Gohan nodded at Majunior.

"You should know, Cell," Majunior began, "that since we were even babies, we've been inextricably entangled with battle and mayhem. We have a natural talent when it comes to power, but its hidden deep within by our human consciousness and only brought out by Saiyan emotions."

"When we were four, our evil Saiyan tyrant of an uncle kidnapped us. He trapped us in his space pod where all we could do was cry and watch him beat our father to a bloody pulp. Even now we can still hear Dad's screams…"

"But when our human emotions intertwined with our Saiyan instinct, we were able to break free. At the time, we didn't understand the concept of power or strategy. All we knew was that we had to help our dad."

"We hurt Radditz enough to stun him so Dad could grab him and Piccolo could finish him off. After that, Piccolo took us to train for the Saiyans' arrival. When Nappa killed Piccolo, we felt that tap of energy bubble up again, and we hurt Nappa more than anyone had so far."

"Even on Namek, we still had that unbelievable power. The Namekian guru helped us bring it out more at will rather than instinct, but when we went to fight Freeza just before the planet was doomed to explode… we tapped into again."

"We defeated Garlic Jr. with it, as well. We let the urge to protect our friends combine with our will to defeat him and we found the energy to knock him into the Makio Star. -2-."

Cell smirked. "So, it seems like your power is only brought out when you're pushed into a corner." The Son boys nodded. "And the only thing that matters to you more than your own lives is the preservation of your friends' safety," he continued. Majunior and Gohan looked at each other nervously. "I have the perfect idea, then," Cell said. He bent over and the stub where his tail used to be expanded.

"What are you doing?!" Majunior shouted, stepping out of his and Gohan's line. Seven balls of blue dropped out of Cell's tail. They uncurled to reveal their chubby little Cell-like faces.

"Hello, my children," Cell grinned, "Listen up. See those people up on the cliff? They are your enemies. There are seven of you and seven of them. Enjoy." The little blue Cell Juniors laughed wickedly and nodded, each blasting toward their Z Fighter of choice.

Trunks burst into Super Saiyan and readied himself for the Cell Jr. coming his way. He looked back down at Majunior. The other hybrid met his eyes frantically. Trunks smiled reassuringly.

"Go get 'em, Gohan! Don't worry about us!" he shouted. The Cell Jr. dodged his attacks easily, and then disappeared from his sight completely. Trunks stopped and waited, listening for any sign of the Jr.'s return. The half-blood prince cursed under his breath, remembering that Cell didn't have an energy signal because he was an android. The Cell Jr. laughed and planted his little back foot into Trunks's back.

"No!" Majunior shouted over Trunks's scream. He blasted off in the other time traveler's direction, but was cut short by Cell. Cell laughed cruelly and lifted his hand. He began to bring it down, but Gohan caught his wrist. Cell used the boy as a crutch and slung him around, forcing him to knock into his older counterpart. The two hybrids landed roughly on the red dirt.

Majunior sat up and rubbed the small of his back. He looked down at the little boy in his lap, who was shaking his head, as if it would stop the dizziness. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. Gohan nodded and looked back up at Cell.

"He's suddenly so much faster," Gohan mumbled. Majunior nodded.

"Yeah."

-

16 landed quietly behind the human news crew. His mechanical blue eyes shifted down to Pan, who was still standing underneath the protection of her future grandfather. He looked up to the arena where Majunior and Gohan were watching seven little blue monsters attack their friends. The two Son boys appeared to be like caged animals- too defiant to watch quietly but they know that they can't stop it. The red-headed android looked back down at the little girl near him.

"Pan," he said in his mechanical voice. She whipped around- along with the rest of the news crew. Her eyes widened in frantic horror. She ran up to 16 and hugged his leg.

"16! Oh, thank Dende you're here!" she continued to tell him about the fight so far. 16 stood still as a statue, but still processing the information. He looked down at the little girl and placed a large hand on her head.

"Alright, Pan. I will take care of it." Pan stepped away from him as he floated into the air. The camera followed 16, and then shot back down at Pan.

"Little girl, who _was_ that?" the reporter asked reverently into his microphone. This little girl was remarkable! First suddenly showing up under the Champ's fatherly protection, then she knows a man who can fly! What a scoop! The reporter could see the headlines now: _Top ZTV Reporter Discovers Inside Scoop About A Strange Little Girl Who Is Very Close to The World Champion!_ The reporter's fantasies were wiped away when he noticed the furious glare that Hercule was giving him. He felt his heart race and he stepped back a few paces as the Champ stood up threateningly.

"What'd I say about asking her questions?!" Hercule asked darkly. The reporter nodded quickly in understanding. He didn't want _that_ lecture again- at least, not on national television.

-

The hairs on the back of Majunior's neck stood up. He swiveled around, only to come face-to-face with 16's mug.

"Christ, 16!" Majunior cursed. Gohan's eyes widened and he stood next to his older counterpart.

"16! You have to help us! Cell-"

"I know, Gohan. Pan already explained it to me." The two hybrids looked at one another. Pan? 16 disappeared from his place by the Son boys to right behind Cell, who was laughing victoriously about his seven little creations. He wrapped his large mechanical arms around Cell's torso. They locked in place with a mechanical _click_.

"Wh-what?!" Cell attempted to look behind him. "16? What are you doing?! You traitor!" he growled angrily any tried to squirm away, but 16 had him in a deadlock.

"You have caused this planet enough harm, Cell. I have a very powerful bomb hidden inside of me. Once I activate it, I will explode. Even you will be destroyed in the detonation, Cell. Even you can't withstand it." 16's lips pulled up with a mechanical whirr and he concentrated, searching for the bomb's activation code.

_Error, function not valid_, said a woman's mechanical voice behind his eyes. Cell's eyes narrowed. He smirked.

16's eyebrows knitted together. He tried again. _Error, function not valid. Error, function not valid. Error, function not valid._

Cell laughed.

"What is wrong?!" 16 asked himself. Cell looked behind and grinned wickedly at him.

"Looks like someone removed your little bomb, 16!" he laughed again. 16 shook his head, trying the code again.

_Error, function not valid._

16's grip faltered. Cell took the chance and twisted away, breaking free of 16's powerful arms. He held up his hands, gathering energy in his palms.

"Say goodbye, brother!" he laughed again and blasted the other android to oblivion. 16's head fell back to Earth, landing just at the two Son boy's feet.

16's eyes opened mechanically. Electricity sparked from his neck. His lips, eyebrows, eyes, and nose twitched with the livewires in his head. "M-Maj-junior. Go-o-han. D-don't hold-d back-k. Let th-the ener-g-gy take y-y-you. Don-n't l-l-et the fe-ear of wha-at may-y hap-pen s-s-stop you f-from s-stop-ping what wi-ill hap-pen. Thank y-you for e-every-t-thing-g; f-for st-stop-ping me be-befo-fore it wa-as to-oo late. Th-thank you, m-my her-roes." His mechanical voice died on his lips. His face stilled; the sparking electricity came to an end. For once, the battleground was silent. Even the Jrs. stopped their rein of terror on the two hybrids' friends.

The wind blew gently across the red clay battlefield. Birds chirped innocently nearby. The two Son boys stared down in horror at the once peaceful android's severed head. The world became not-so-silent to them as blood began to pump harder and harder behind their ears. Anger bubbled up in their hearts in the form of energy, but it was held back by what seemed like an elastic band. The band expanded as the energy pushed against it and, finally, it snapped.

The energy pulsed through their veins like blood, feeding their appetite of rage. The winds kicked up around them, blowing the red dust around the arena. Their hair stood up and static electricity shielded them. The blue sparks pulsed around them with their heartbeats- simultaneous- beating as one person. After all, they _were_ the same person. The same person, just branching off in separate directions in life from a certain point, unraveling the space-time continuum as it was so intricately knitted. The same person, yet so individual, just as the two sides of a double helix were united by the same bricks, but individual with their own places in life.

As the wind and dust settled, their anger did not. They looked up at Cell, who was grinning down at them wickedly.

"Now _that_ is a good show." Majunior and Gohan glanced at each other, nodded, and disappeared from their positions. Cell's eyes widened and he looked around, only to catch one of his Jrs. exploding from nowhere.

One by one, the Jrs. exploded into dust, one right after another. The last Jr. at the end of the cliff held Trunks's neck with his arm tighter. His magenta eyes darted back and forth, watching for the two super powered hybrids. He turned his head to look behind him. Trunks's breath caught in his throat, calling the Jr.'s. attention. The little blue mongrel's eyes widened in shock. He looked up slowly. Majunior and Gohan wore matching expressions of disgust as they glared back down through the pulses of static.

They held up their hands, but not gathering energy. The Jr. smirked nervously and held his fingers up to Trunks's jugular. His little back fingernails grew quickly, each pressing against the major vein. The two electrified hybrids didn't flinch. The Jr. trembled, this game of chicken making his mechanical heart race.

"D-do it, Gohan! Just do it!" Trunks squeaked. Energy gathered in the dual hybrids' palms. The Jr. flinched and let go, attempting to run, but didn't get very far, thanks to the younger Gohan.

Trunks rubbed his throat and looked up at Majunior. Their eyes met. Trunks's heart raced for a moment. "Gold Fighter?" he asked softly. The older hybrid smiled slightly, but it wasn't malicious. Warmth and compassion seeped through Majunior's smile slowly. Trunks's heart calmed. "Gohan…"

"I see you, you little bitch!" Cell screamed angrily. He fired several shots in the news crew's direction. The humans screamed and ran away, only losing their footing when the ground underneath them exploded and sent them flying. Majunior and Gohan nodded at one another and took off for Cell.

-

Pan panted slightly. She cursed under her breath. He saw her! But, why was he so angry with her? What did she do? Pan looked up at Hercule, who was trembling. She set him down gently on the other side of the crater that used to be the Cell Games arena. She looked over him quickly for any sign of injury. She smiled.

"You're fine, just a few cuts." Hercule nodded, his eyes wide as saucers.

"You really are one of them," he noted. She placed a hand on the back of her head, imitating her father's and grandfather's sheepish habits.

"Well, yeah, I told you so."

"That's amazing," he looked up at the arena, where Majunior and Gohan were easily overpowering Cell. "He's your dad?"

Pan looked up as well, watching the two hybrids fight. She nodded and smiled proudly. "Yeah, he's my dad. My Gohan."

Hercule nodded, noting the name. "Gohan Son." He looked down at Pan. Her clothes were singed and soot covered her. His breath hitched in his throat. "What happened to your leg?" he asked. Pan looked up at him in shock. She glanced at her pants. Indeed, her pants were torn, showing off her metallic bionic leg. It looked scary, especially comparing the artificial metal to the natural skin. Pan bit her lip.

"I was in an accident when I was a baby," she mumbled. Hercule nodded.

"…I'm sorry."

-

Cell panted and wiped purple blood from his lip. A foot collided with the back of his head, forcing him to collide with the red earth below. He flipped onto his hands and knees and pushed himself back onto his feet. He swirled around, searching the air for any sign of one of the hybrids. Gohan appeared in front of him suddenly and dug his fist into Cell's stomach. Cell's breath failed him, as if some foreign object was stuck in his throat. He saw Gohan stand back and give him a funny look. He felt the object moving up.

Suddenly, he panicked. Oh, no. How could this happen? What made this happen? He felt the object push through his lips. It was a boot. No, it was a leg. Two legs? Gohan's eye twitched. 18 slipped out of Cell's mouth and landed on the ground, wet with purple blood and goo. Gohan's eye twitched again. He looked back up at Cell.

Cell had deformed back into his imperfect stage. Fat, purple lips, no wings, enormous body, and a long, fat tail. Majunior smirked. Thinking quickly, the older hybrid snatched the female android up and placed her next to Krillen on the Cliffside. He reappeared next to Gohan.

"I hope you feel it, Cell," Majunior began. "The hopelessness, the condemning uselessness that we have felt for so long."

"Now you'll get yours," Gohan's eyes narrowed. Static sparked wildly around him. But, much to his surprise, Cell began to laugh uncontrollably. The green monster threw his head back.

"I'll get mine?! No, I think that it's time you two get yours!" Cell shouted. He wiped an invisible tear away from his eye. He concentrated for a moment, but the grin never left his face.

_Function verified. Detonation in fifteen… fourteen… thirteen…_

The hybrids' eyes widened. The winds kicked up around them, blowing dust everywhere. They watched in terror as Cell's frame grew, bubbling up to the size of a house.

"You can't destroy me!" Cell's voice was deformed, "I am Cell! I am invincible! I will blow this mudball up! Even after I explode, I can still regenerate! You wanna know why?!" The monster began to laugh again, sounding maniacal, "Because I am the ultimate weapon! I am Cell!" Majunior shook his head.

'No, no! Not after everything we've done! Not after everything we've sacrificed!' he screamed in his head. The child's voice began screaming incoherently. The man's voice growled darkly. The woman's voice demanded something that Majunior could not comprehend. Their voices mixed together in mayhem. The backs of his eyes buzzed. His ears rang. He looked down at his hands. When did he drop to his knees? He looked over to his younger counterpart, who was screaming something and shaking his head. Majunior looked back at Cell. His eyebrows knitted together.

Goku smiled and saluted the two hybrids. "I love you guys," he stated firmly. "I'm so proud of both of you." He placed two fingers to his forehead and one hand on Cell's bloated abdomen. Majunior found himself on his feet, running in step with his younger counterpart toward their father. The ringing grew louder, the man and the woman drowned in the noise. Majunior reached out- he could already feel the soft fabric of his father's fighting uniform on his fingertips, but the man was gone. Majunior and Gohan fell back to the earth with a thud. All that was left in Goku's wake was the settling dust.

Gohan screamed and pounded his fists against the dirt. Majunior sat on his knees, feeling the empty hopelessness that he'd felt when his father died in his timeline.

'I failed again,' he whispered in his thoughts. The only noise left in his head was the child's incoherent screaming. Suddenly, the winds kicked up again. The dirt clouded the air, shielding the fighters on the cliff from sight. Majunior looked around. Pan and Hercule were on the other side of the battlefield. Pan met his eyes, hers wide with fright. Majunior's heart panged with guilt. Had she really seen all that?

He looked over to Gohan, who was still screaming and pounding his fists into the dirt. Majunior's eyebrows knitted together. Majunior recognized that scream. It was… the child's voice? His eyes widened. Suddenly, he understood. Trunks's words from Bulma's kitchen that night rang in his memory, clear as a bell, _"Then… maybe they're people you think you could have saved. People who would have affected loved ones' lives, had they lived."_

The child screamed its incoherent words louder.

"…_Well, a little kid, always positive…"_

"…_Innocent, caring, protective…"_

'That little kid isn't dad. It's… me,' Majunior felt lightheaded. The child's words became clear.

_Save him! He needs you! Save him! Save him! Save him!_ Majunior looked up to the shrouded cliff. He jumped to his feet and blasted in Trunks's direction.

_Hurry, hurry! He needs your help! He needs you!_ Majunior reached the half-blood prince. Trunks's eyes widened. The world seemed to go in slow motion. Majunior grabbed Trunks's shoulder and roughly pushed him away. Trunks landed on his back. He looked up and gasped in horror.

An energy beam penetrated Majunior's chest, pushing all the way through and burning a huge hole through his torso. Trunks watched, frozen in time, as Majunior's body landed with a disturbing _thud_ on the red earth. Blood pooled around him, spurting out of his mouth, and dripping down his arms. Trunks crawled up to him and cradled the other hybrid to his chest. He hugged his body close and sobbed into Majunior's bloody shoulder. The older hybrid's hand pressed gently against Trunks's cheek.

"W-what's wro-ong? You… worried about… me?" Majunior smirked weakly. Trunks looked into his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm worried about you. I always am, you jerk," Trunks bit his lip; the tears fell down his cheeks. Majunior smiled and patted Trunks's cheek.

"I love you, too, lil' brother," his breath died on his lips and his hand fell back to his side. Trunks's heart squeezed. He hugged the limp corpse of his best friend closer. He gasped. Had he always been this small? Or was it an illusion of death? Trunks didn't know. He didn't care. He screamed into Majunior's bloodied shoulder. Lightening sparked around his body.

His big brother just died.

-

TBC…

-1- If you haven't realized this by now, I'm not very good (or very interested) with fight scenes (unless they're fatally important to the story flow). They're fighting. Whoopee. You know what goes on. Punch-punch, kick-kick, finger stab to the rectum.

-2- I don't know if that's the right spelling.

Yay! Chapter nineteen! Hope you guys liked it. I sure had fun writing it. REVIEW NOW. Next chapter is the last. If you want it, you have to review!

-don darko.


	20. Save Us All!

Impasse

Author's note: Well, here it is everyone! Last chapter! –cracks knuckles-

-

Pan clutched her chest and curled over slightly. Her eyes widened and beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. What was that? Her heart squeezed again, then a feeling of emptiness took its place.

"Pan!" Hercule patted her back firmly. "Pan? What's wrong?"

Pan shook her head and looked up to the Cliffside. The dust had settled. She took no notice to Gohan screaming or Cell laughing on the other side of the battlefield. She locked eyes with Trunks and the bloody corpse that was lying limply in his arms.

Her heart squeezed again. "No…" she whispered. "No… no!" She stood up abruptly. Hercule grabbed her arm, but he was blown away immediately, as if someone had body slammed him. Pan screamed and pulled at her hair. The silky black strands flipped up underneath her dirtied bandana and bleached themselves a white-gold. Her energy swirled around her, knocking away anything that was nearby. The anklet on her bionic leg glowed and trembled before it shattered and sparkled into the air.

Gohan lurched forward. His eyes widened. Where had all that power come from? He looked over his shoulder. Pan?

"P-Panny…?" When did she get so strong?

Trunks cradled the body closer, shielding it from the oncoming dust and rock. He looked up through the winds and smiled. He looked down at his big brother's body, "Hey, your baby's holding Super Saiyan. She could never hold it before."

"Hey, Pan, you're not going out there, are you?" Hercule asked softly, as if he were afraid the little girl would rip his mouth off. He crawled closer to her, seeing as the bubble of energy that had pushed him away earlier had disappeared. He lifted a hand to her arm, but flinched when his skin brushed hers. It was scorching, as if he'd touched a hot stove. Hercule ground his teeth together, grabbed her arm despite the blistering heat, and held her close by. She whirled around and glared at him.

"What ever happens, don't tell anyone what I told you before, okay?! My family's privacy is everything to them." Hercule's blue eyes widened. He shook his head.

"No, no Pan, I can't let you fight that thing. Cell's a monster."

Pan ripped her arm away and started toward the battlefield. In mid-step, she stopped and turned back to him. With a small smile, she said, "Tell your daughter that… that I said hi." She turned on her heel and raced toward Gohan on the field. Hercule sat back, a bit stunned.

"S-sure," he mumbled to himself.

Gohan watched her approach at the speed of light. He stared wide-eyed at her, mouth slightly agape. Pan nodded at him. The two children looked ahead, where Cell had somehow returned to his perfect form. The creature was laughing condescendingly.

"I love my Saiyan cells!" he exclaimed, "When one comes to near death, they only get stronger! Yes… I was able to return to my perfect form." He patted his bicep victoriously. The smirk never left his face, "However, I'm sorry to say that I am tired of this game. Any last words before I wipe you stinking humans off the face of this planet?"

"Actually, Cell, one word does come to mind," Gohan lowered his voice dangerously. He pulled Pan closer to his left side, leaving his hand on her shoulder. He glared at the monster before him as Pan's pain of losing her father became his own. She looked up at him, though it wasn't accusing like any other time he used his Empathy on her. He nodded at her and moved his right hand in the correct motions, keeping his left on her shoulder. Pan copied him.

"Ka… me… ha… me…" they said simultaneously. Bright blue energy formed in their palms, idling for the last magic word. Cell grinned wickedly and copied their motions.

"_Ha_!!!" All three competitors shouted at the same time. The energy exploded in a giant tidal wave, pushing at one another like an awesome game of Tug-o-War. Gohan kept Pan close to his side, drinking her pain like fuel.

Trunks and the other Z Fighters watched in awe from the top of the Cliffside. The half-blood prince idly patted Majunior's cold, scarred arm. "Hey, look, big brother, she's doing it. She's doing it." Vegeta looked over at him, ready to shout at his stupid child from the future for talking to a corpse, but clamped his trap shut when he noticed the utter expression of loss and guilt etched across Trunks's face. Instead, Vegeta grunted and placed a gloved hand on Trunks's shoulder.

"Shit, Cell's gaining the upperhand! But… how? It's just him versus _two_ Super Saiyans!" Krillen shouted over the noise. He cradled 18's head so she wasn't lying completely in the red dust. Piccolo growled dangerously at his side.

"He almost died. Whatever doesn't kill a Saiyan, it literally makes him stronger. I don't know about you guys, but I have to help Gohan! I've waited around long enough. We already lost one…" the Namekian glanced over to Trunks's distraught face and the body lying in his arms. Piccolo shook his head. He couldn't let Gohan end up like that. He pushed himself off of the cliff and took off toward Cell.

"We can't let Piccolo go in alone!" Tien shouted. Yamucha nodded. The two humans lifted off. Krillen made a frustrated grunt.

"No, wait! You guys aren't pulling a Piccolo on me, too, are you?! Aww, man…" He looked down at the robotic beauty in his arms. "Don't worry, 18, I'll be back soon…" Krillen gently laid her head down in the dust. He gulped and took off after the other three.

Piccolo, Tien, and Yamucha were trying to distract Cell by firing energy blasts at them. Krillen formed a Destructo Disk in his hand and tossed it like a Frisbee, only to have Cell bounce it back off his wings. Krillen panicked and ducked. The disk missed him by an inch. Energy blast after energy blast after failed energy blast had Cell laughing hysterically. The monster gathered energy in his black wings before shooting it backward at the four Z Fighters, all while keeping his upperhand at his Tug-o-War game with the half-pint Super Saiyans. The four Z Fighters behind him each landed with a thud on the ground.

Gohan growled and faltered, having to step back to keep from being engulfed in Cell's Kamehameha Wave. "I… I can't!" he whimpered and closed his eyes. A warm hand pushed gently against his back. Someone's breath tickled his ear. He looked to his left at Pan. Nope, wasn't her. He looked to his right, where spiky black locks of hair brushed against his cheek.

"D-Dad?" Gohan whispered.

"Come on, Gohan. You can do this," the person cheered. It sounded like his father, but at the same time… it didn't. Gohan looked back into the light. He could just barely see Cell beyond his hand. "I know you can, Gohan. I believe in you."

Gohan squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Where had he seen this before? He thought back to his dream with the child.

"Steady your hand," the man whispered to him comfortingly. Gohan nodded and straightened his arm. Another hand- a larger one- pressed on the back of his. He could feel the person kneeling behind him, their heartbeat ringing in his head. "Blow me away."

Gohan felt the energy pulsing through his arm and out of his hand. The game of Tug-o-War became even. Pan's pain coursed through him, pulling at his heartstrings and clawing its way to his hand. The person behind him flinched slightly. Gohan could feel him shifting.

Beyond the light, Gohan saw Cell falter. "Save us all," the man whispered. Gohan released every bit of energy he had into the Wave. He could hear Cell screaming. He could see the monster's eyes lock with his own. Gohan glared at him. Finally, the monster was getting a taste of his own medicine. Cell moved his hands in front of his face, as if it would stop the oncoming death. Beyond the light, Gohan could watch Cell die.

Only did the very last cell of Cell's being disintegrate did the last bit of Gohan's energy leave his body. He looked down, seeing that their Tug-o-War game left a little more than a blemish in the earth's face. Gohan looked over to Pan, who met his eyes. She smiled at him tiredly. Her lids closed and she fell, but Gohan caught her before plummeting to Earth himself.

He landed roughly on his back, Pan on top of him. He stared up at the sun and the gorgeous blue sky.

"Hey," the man from before whispered. The man leaned over the little boy, blocking the sun. Gohan squinted, but the man's face was shadowed. "I knew you could do it. I love you. I'm so proud of you." The man lifted his hand off of Gohan's shoulder. The rest of him disappeared from sight immediately. Gohan stared back up at the sky again before closing his eyes. He let the words sink in. Once they did, he laughed.

Piccolo and the other three Z Fighters sat up from their places on the ground. Krillen rubbed his head and looked around, noting the gigantic crater, courtesy of one Gohan Son. "Remind me to never get that kid angry," he joked.

Piccolo shook his head. "Hey, who threw that last energy blast at Cell?" The three humans looked at each other and shrugged. Piccolo looked up at the Cliffside where Vegeta and Trunks were still kneeling. Piccolo knitted his hairless brows together and looked up at the sky. Nothing.

"Oh, well, at least Cell is dead." He got to his feet and looked over to the two children. He lifted off and floated over to them and kneeled down beside his former pupil. Gohan opened his eyes and quieted his laughter. He nudged Pan's sleeping form.

"Strong girl."

"You should be proud, Gohan. Both of you should be. We're all proud of you." Piccolo easily picked Gohan and Pan both off the ground and carried them over to the Cliffside. Gohan held Pan to his chest tightly and looked over to Trunks.

"I'm sorry, Trunks," he looked down at his older counterpart's body and felt an icy rush, starting from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Trunks forced a small smile.

"We can wish him back with the dragonballs, and then I can kill him for pulling such a stupid stunt." The two half-breeds shared a laugh. Gohan looked back up at Piccolo.

"I'm sorry about… the mess…" he whispered. His eyelids drooped and shut, his consciousness plummeting into dreamland. Piccolo smiled at him gently.

"S'okay, kid."

"Hey, we need to get to Dende so he can heal those two up. Then we can wish on the dragonballs," Yamucha stated. The others nodded.

"I'll carry Gohan," Trunks whispered and stood with Majunior's limp body.

"Uh, and I'll get 18!" Krillen offered and turned away quickly, avoiding the incredulous stares of his fellow warriors.

"I'll get Pan," Vegeta growled. He immediately plucked the child from Piccolo's arms. The others stared at him, wide-eyed. "What?! You don't think that it would be safe for the Namekian to juggle _two_ brats, do you?!" Yamucha laughed.

"Vegeta being protective over a kid? Unbelievable."

"Shut up."

The Z Fighters each lifted off and left the bloodstained battlefield.

-

Dende gasped in horror as the Z Fighters landed on the Lookout. Piccolo and Vegeta gently laid the children on the cold tile for Dende to heal. Trunks faced away from the kids, attempting to act as a shield for their eyes when they would open. They couldn't see Majunior like this.

"Tch… oh, wow! Thanks, Dende!" Gohan smiled and sat up, feeling rejuvenated. Pan sat up as well, a sleepy look on her face.

"Aw, Daddy, I don't wanna go to school…" She blinked and widened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. "Oh, wait…" Gohan laughed and ruffled her hair. She giggled and slapped his hand away. She looked up, catching Trunks in the corner of her eye. Ice filled her body. She knew who was in front of him. She looked down at her torn, dirty purple shoes. "Can we call on the dragon now…?"

Dende nodded and stood up. He motioned over to the center of the lookout where the seven dragonballs were sitting, waiting patiently. The Z Fighters crowded around them, all except for Trunks, of course, for obvious reasons. Dende raised his hands and closed his eyes, chanting the call.

A moment passed; nothing happened.

Dende tried again, furrowing his hairless eyebrows in frustration. Still, nothing.

"Aren't they supposed to be glowing?" Gohan mumbled. Pan was silent and still beside him. He squeezed her hand.

"Well, yeah," Dende opened his eyes. He kneeled down by the balls and plucked them up and inspected each one carefully. He picked up the four star ball and gulped. Beads of sweat formed on the back of his head.

"What is it, Dende?" Piccolo asked.

"Uh…" he held up the ball. A large crack ran down the side, between the stars. "It's broken."

"How did that happen?!" Vegeta growled. Dende shook his head.

"I don't know, it wasn't broken when Mage and Goku found it, and it wasn't broken when I set them up a few hours ago."

"I think I know what happened, but it might sound crazy…" Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please, brat. You're eleven and you just disintegrated a super powered cockroach on steroids using waves and waves of _energy_. What could be crazier?"

"Well, maybe the four star ball cracked when either my dad or Mage died," Gohan mumbled. Dende sighed and looked down at the seven balls hopelessly.

"I'm sorry, guys, but it will take months to make a new set…"

"Wait," Pan cut Dende off. She looked up at Trunks. "I know where to get another four star ball." Trunks looked over his shoulder, but didn't look at her. She continued, "Daddy has one at our house in our timeline. I know where it is. I can get it and bring it back, and then we can wish Daddy and everyone Cell killed back to life."

"Can she do that, Dende? Will it work?" Gohan looked at Dende hopefully. Dende nodded numbly.

"It's worth a shot."

Pan nodded and stood up quietly. She looked over at Trunks. "Where's the Time Machine capsule?" Trunks pointed to the building, where he'd kept his belongings for the time they were training for the Cell Games.

"In Gohan's yellow messenger bag." Pan flew inside the building, retrieved the bag, and brought it back outside.

"Which capsule is it?" she asked, pulling out a small capsule box.

"The green one," Trunks replied softly. Pan plucked it out of the box and opened the capsule. The large, yellow, egg-shaped time machine whirred to life. The battery-shaped scale on the front was missing one block. "We can travel through time three more times, Pan," he mumbled.

"Wait, I thought you guys had two time machines?" Gohan said. Trunks nodded his head, still not turning to look at anyone.

"We did. Pan came here in it, Gohan went back to get Mom in it, Gohan came back with Mom in it, so it only has one block of power left on it. I'm saving it for us, just in case things don't work in our timeline. That way, we can just return here and live in peace."

Piccolo nodded, "Smart."

Pan climbed up the side of the time machine and pushed the button to open the hatch. Gohan grabbed her leg.

"Let me go with you," he said. "The androids still exist in that time. I need to be there with you." Pan nodded slowly. Piccolo stepped forward.

"Careful," he warned. The two children agreed and shut the hatch after climbing in. Pan set the coordinates for the original timeline. The machine began whirring and buzzing and lifted into the air. As the whirring became louder, Pan gazed out of the glass dome top. Trunks looked up from her father's dead body and smiled gently.

"Hope," he mouthed. She smiled.

-

Pan gasped softly. The blinding light faded, revealing their surroundings. Gohan held her closer. The Lookout was a wreck. The once beautiful building was crumbled into nothing. The plants were dead and gray. The tile was broken and cracked. The children gulped. The hatch opened.

Gohan helped Pan out of the machine and recapsulized it. He handed the capsule to Pan, who thanked him quietly.

"Follow me," she said. He nodded and lifted into the air with her. Together, they blasted off toward Orange Star City.

Gohan's breath hitched in his throat. The once lush, lively forests and lakes that lived happily below the Lookout were now dead and dry. He looked over to Pan, who was holding a very grave expression. He squeezed her hand again. She looked up at him and smiled sadly.

The city was nothing better. Fires, sirens, destroyed buildings, crime, crying, screaming, and rioting galore. Pan sighed and landed, finally, in a small neighborhood. She held Gohan's hand tighter as they walked down the street, eyes set directly ahead, face still grave.

"It actually didn't always look like this," she mumbled motioning to the graying houses and dead grass. "When Daddy and I lived here, it was actually quite nice. I guess we just got out in time."

The street was not very long. Pan's and Majunior's house was just around the corner, but it was blocked off by yellow police tape. Pan's eyes widened. A blonde man in a brown suit was talking to the police force in front of her front door.

"I want the entire town searched!" the man shouted in despair. The officer shook his head.

"Sorry, sir, but it's been two years and we haven't seen hide or hair of Gohan Son or your daughter. I'm sorry, but I have to close the case."

"What?! They could be anywhere! If you don't continue looking, then may some higher being have mercy on…" The blonde man continued to shout at the officer. Pan sighed and lowered her gaze, tightening her grip on Gohan's hand.

"We need to get the ball," Pan whispered. Gohan nodded and continued forward. He and Pan ducked under the police tape and immediately hid behind the bushes on the side of the house. "Come on, there's a crawlspace over here…" she whispered. She lifted the drain grate at the foot of the house and crawled inside, Gohan following close behind. "This is a lot smaller than I remember," she joked weakly.

"Careful where you come out, Pan. There's two officers in the room directly above. One is moving west."

Pan nodded and crawled east. After a few seconds of crawling she turned onto her back and pushed up on the floor above her head. The wood cracked and splintered, giving just enough space for her and Gohan to crawl through. She pushed a rug out of the way and pulled herself through the hole.

"This is the bathroom," she whispered as Gohan pulled himself out of the crawlspace. He awkwardly placed the broken wood back over the hole and pulled the rug back into place. He tapped his foot on it. Although it looked normal, if anyone were to step on it, they'd fall right through the floor.

"Careful, Pan," Gohan whispered and pointed to the rug. Pan nodded.

The bathroom was barely big enough for the both of them. Pan opened the door slowly, flinching when it creaked.

"What was that?" a man's voice questioned from another room. Loud footsteps resounded through the little hallway. Pan flew into the room across the hall and motioned for Gohan to follow, but the officer was already making his way toward the bathroom. If Gohan were to leave the bathroom, he'd be caught. Thinking quickly, he hid behind the opened door.

The police officer stepped into the doorframe and inspected the tiny bathroom. He hummed and gazed around idly. Sighing, he shook his head and turned to walk back to the room with the other police officer. "It's nothin'! Just that squeaky door again."

Once the officer was out of sight, Gohan joined Pan in the adjoining room. "That was close," he breathed. She nodded.

"This is Daddy's room," she whispered sadly. Gohan nodded and looked around. It wasn't very big, much like his own room. Full sized bed, a dresser, a bookshelf, and a closet. As Gohan inspected the room, Pan opened the closet door and breathed in the familiar smell of her father's clothes. She smiled softly and quietly dropped to her knees.

Gohan watched as she hooked her fingers around a loose floorboard and pulled up on it. Inside the floor, a palm-sized stone ball waited patiently. She plucked the ball out of the hole and gently placed the floorboard back down.

"Here it is," she whispered and turned to Gohan. He smiled and nodded, then looked back at the pictures framed on his older counterpart's dresser. Pan's eyes widened and she looked behind Gohan.

"G-G-Gohan," she squeaked. He looked up at her again and blinked. He bit his lip and closed his eyes.

"They're behind me, huh?" Pan nodded.

"Who are you?!" The blonde man demanded. Gohan whirled around and met his eyes. The blonde man gasped softly. "You look like…" he looked up at Pan.

"Run!" she shouted. She grabbed Gohan's arm and ran around the other side of the bed. The two police officers followed them around. Pan pulled her mini-sized father on top of the bed and she picked up a pillow. Unbeknownst to Pan, a small photo fell out of the pillowcase. As Pan tossed the pillow at the two officers hard enough to knock them back into the wall, Gohan picked the picture up and stuffed it in his waistband. He picked the little girl up and flew out the door, back into the bathroom. He jumped over the rug and shattered the bathroom window. He kneeled in the window sill and looked behind him. The two officers ran after them, but as soon as their weight landed on the rug, they fell into the hole.

Gohan turned and jumped out of the window and hovered just over the bushes.

"Ready to go?" he asked the little girl in his arms. She hesitated, but nodded.

"Wait!" the blonde man called. He stood underneath the two hovering children and gazed up at them pleadingly. "Please, listen to me." Gohan stopped and waited for him to continue. The blonde man sighed and looked up at the sky, "If you're going to see Gohan Son any time soon… just tell him that… tell him I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Gohan nodded and shifted Pan in his arms before blasting off. The blonde man dropped his gaze to the dead grass.

"I'm the reason he left… he was my best friend, and I knew that he loved Videl… I loved her, too, but that was no excuse… to force them to be apart and force her to be with me, especially when he was the one who made her so happy… Now they're both gone. I just wish that I could speak to him once more… and tell him that he is better for Pan… for his and Videl's child than I am. I'm just so sorry…" he dropped to his knees and held his head in agony.

-

The two children arrived back at the wrecked Lookout. Pan decapsulated the Time Machine quickly and they jumped in. She set the coordinates and the machine whirred and buzzed, and then lifted into the air and zapped them back to the past.

-

The blinding light faded after a few moments and the relieved faces of their friends came into view. Trunks looked over his shoulder and sighed with relief. They were back and safe. He looked down at Majunior's deathly pale skin. "You'll be alright in no time," he promised.

Pan pushed the stone ball into Dende's green hands. He held the ball firmly and looked up at her. "Are you sure you want to do this? Once I reprogram this ball, you can never use it in your timeline again." Pan nodded urgently.

"Yes, yes, use it. It's not like it would work in our timeline, anyway." Dende nodded and concentrated on the ball. The stone seemed to melt away and be replaced by the shiny orange, matching the other balls. He opened his eyes again and placed it in the old four star ball's place. The seven balls began to glow eerily.

"Here we go, then," Dende lifted his hands and closed his eyes. He chanted the call once more and, this time, the sky turned dark in response. The balls glowed brighter than before. Yellow lightening burst from the seven little balls and it twisted and turned in the sky. The light solidified into an awesome green dragon. Dende opened his eyes and smiled.

"Shenron!" Dende shouted. Shenron's red eyes shone with magic.

"You have called upon me. What is your first wish?" he asked slowly in a booming voice. Gohan gulped and nodded at Dende. Dende nodded back.

"We wish that everyone that Cell killed back to life!" Dende shouted. Shenron's eyes glowed bright crimson.

"It has been done," he boomed.

"Gah… I feel like I was hit by a train…" Majunior sat up from Trunks's arms and rubbed his head. Pan twisted around and her eyes widened. Tears pooled in them and fell down her cheeks.

"Daddy!!" Pan shouted and tackled her father. Majunior laughed and hugged her tightly.

"Hey," he pulled Pan's face up by her chin, "Mom says hi." More tears filled Pan's eyes and she sobbed into her father's chest. Majunior held her there and looked up at Trunks, who was trying to hold back tears. "Miss me?" he asked. Trunks laughed and hugged him and the little girl tightly.

"There is a problem with your first wish," Shenron growled from a thousand feet in the air. "The one called Goku Son cannot be wished back to life, for he has already been wished back once before." Dende cursed softly under his breath. Majunior knitted his eyebrows together and looked over to Gohan. The young boy's head hung slightly.

"…Hey, what if we go to Namek and wish Goku back with the Namekian dragonballs? You can be wished back more than once with those, right?" Krillen offered. Dende nodded promptly.

"Yeah! We can just wish ourselves to New Namek, gather those dragonballs, wish my dad back, then just wish ourselves back to Earth!" Gohan's eyes lit up.

"And that still leaves us one free wish," Yamucha noted. The Z Fighters smiled at each other.

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?!" Goku's voice resounded throughout the Lookout. Shenron sighed impatiently. "I don't want to come back to life, guys."

"D-Dad?" Gohan's eyes widened. "Why not?"

"Well, every time I'm there, something bad happens. Just look. Radditz came to Earth because I was there. Freeza came to Earth because he wanted revenge on me. The androids were created because Dr. Gero wanted revenge on me. See? I think that if I just stay away, then Earth can live in peace."

"But… that doesn't mean I don't need you!" Gohan shouted angrily, frustrated tears filling his eyes. Majunior pulled Pan off of him gently and walked over to the little boy. "I mean, things are great when you're here! What about Mom? She needs you, too! You can't just decide to stay dead!"

"Son, I was supposed to have died a long time ago when you were four. If I had stayed dead then, you wouldn't even know me now." Tears fell down Gohan's cheeks. "So, I'll see you guys soo- oh, heheh! I mean, I'll see you guys later!" Goku's voice faded into the distance.

"I still need you, Daddy…" Gohan looked back down at the ground. Majunior kneeled beside him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Gohan looked up into his older counterpart's eyes. Gohan trembled and fell into his arms, letting the man hug him as tightly as he could, as if he could squeeze all of the hurt out of him.

Shenron sighed again, louder this time. "What is your second wish?" Dende looked at the surrounding solemn warriors.

"Anyone have any ideas?" Dende asked softly. Krillen gulped and stepped forward.

"I want to wish 18 to be human again," he nodded firmly. So what if they all thought he was crazy?

"It cannot be done. That is out of my power," Shenron boomed. Krillen furrowed his eyebrows.

"Then I wish the bomb inside of her was removed. That way… at least she could be a little human." Shenron's eyes glowed bright crimson again.

"It has been done. Until next time, farewell." Shenron disappeared into a ribbon of light and was sucked back into the balls. The seven dragonballs floated into the air and scattered about the Earth again. The sky lightened, but the Lookout was left with a dark mood.

"I guess I should tell Mom," Gohan mumbled and stepped away from Majunior. The older hybrid nodded and ruffled his hair, shooting him a weak smile.

"Come on, I'll go with you."

-

The funeral was the next day. More people came than Gohan knew, but his mother seemed to know most of them. Gohan stood alone most of the time, feeling too numb to feel the comfort or stares that others tried to give him. Gohan could hear the old friends of Goku whispering things like, "Oh, that's Goku's son?" and, "He's a fine young man, he is," and, "He looks so much like his father at that age." Gohan just wanted to vomit.

It wasn't any better when his father's friends carried his empty casket down the aisle. Gohan stood across from Majunior, Pan, and his mother, not wanting to be near any of them. As the casket passed, Gohan felt a warm hand press against his shoulder. He looked over, but it was gone as soon as it came. He looked around behind him, but found nothing. When he turned back to the aisle, Majunior was staring off behind him. The older man looked back down and met Gohan's matching brown eyes. He smiled. Gohan couldn't help but smile back.

-

"Thanks for everything, guys," Trunks smiled as he decapsulated the time machine. The last green block left on the scale glowed brightly. Gohan hugged Pan tightly.

"You'll come back, right?" he pleaded. Pan smiled softly.

"Maybe some day." Pan let her father help her into the machine, where Trunks was waiting. Majunior ruffled Gohan's hair playfully.

"Be good," Majunior ordered. Gohan nodded.

"Yes, sir." They shared a laugh. Majunior climbed up onto the ladder and into the machine. The glass dome hatch closed with a click. Trunks set the coordinates and the machine started to whirr and buzz.

"Ready to go back to our trainwreck of a timeline?" Majunior asked, a happy smile on his face. Trunks laughed and looked around to the faces of the lives they'd changed.

"You know, I learned something," he mumbled. Majunior bounced Pan playfully in his lap.

"What's that?"

"Life is like a maze. When you hit an impasse, just retrace your steps. There is always a path to the end."

"Oh, that's deep," Majunior laughed. Trunks punched him playfully in the arm.

Outside the time machine, Gohan watched as it lifted off the green grass. Majunior looked out of the glass and grinned at him. Gohan gasped.

"Oh, no! I forgot!" He pulled the photo from Majunior's pillowcase out of his pocket. He held it up for Majunior to see. The man placed his hand on the glass dome and stood up slightly, but stopped himself, smiled again, and waved.

"You keep it," he mouthed. Gohan looked over to Piccolo.

"I forgot to tell him… that some guy in his timeline wanted to tell him that he was sorry." Piccolo laid a large, green hand on Gohan's head.

"I think he'll figure it out." Gohan nodded and looked down at the photo. It was of a younger Majunior- an older Gohan- and a woman kissing each other tenderly. The couple practically radiated happiness. Gohan flipped the photo over.

"I love you, Gohan. Love, Videl," Gohan read. He blushed and looked back into the sky. The sky was empty, but Gohan felt so full.

_The End._

-

**YES!!! I'm DONE! Wahoo!!**

**And, here's a special treat for all of you: a sneak peak for Chapter One of **_**Impasse**_**'s sequal! **

**Here you go, a sneak peak into **_**Finesse**_**!**

-

Gohan rolled his eyes. Erasa laughed and brushed her arm against his. "Yeah, Gohan, I'm serious! You and I should totally go to the movies or something…"

"Erasa, you're way too hot to beg," Sharpner ran a hand through his long blonde hair.

"Mmm, but I think I'll have to make an exception for him," she purred and poked Gohan's chest. The hybrid laughed nervously.

"In other news," Videl slapped Erasa's hand away. She poked her fat, glossy pink lips out in a pout. Videl couldn't help but smirk. "In other news, I hear there's a new teacher _and _a new student."

"Oh, yeah? What's the teacher teach?" Gohan asked idly.

"Math- our next class, actually," she answered. Sharpner shoved Gohan playfully.

"Only you would be interested in what the new teacher teaches, Booknerd! Who's the new kid?"

"I don't know. Some girl with a really weird name. I can't even remember it. Piper, or something," Videl answered.

"Ooh, a girl! Is she hot?!" Sharpner leaned in. Videl glared at him and elbowed him in the ribs. "Aw, come on, on a scale of One-to-Videl, how hot is she?" The teenage crime fighter elbowed him again. When the four reached the door, the bell rang.

"Oh, man, we're going to be late!" Gohan bit his lip habitually.

"Gohan, don't do that! You'll ruin your lips! Want some lip balm? You can use some of mine- oh, darn! I left the stick in my locker! Here, just kiss me and-"

"No, Erasa!" Videl separated the two. Gohan thanked her quietly. "Jesus Christ, you're like a cat in heat." Videl glared at the other girl. Erasa only giggled.

Gohan pushed the door open and stopped dead in his tracks. He stared wide-eyed at the new teacher, who only smirked at him in return.

"Oooh, the new teacher is hot!" Erasa whispered to Videl. The three humans pushed past Gohan's frozen form.

"Have a seat, Mr. Son," the new teacher ordered coolly. Gohan began to tremble. The new teacher walked up to him slowly and waved a hand in front of his eyes, snapping the hybrid out of his trance. "Are you alright?" Gohan nodded slowly. The new teacher smirked again. "Good. Now, then. Take your seat."

"Y-Yes, t-teach-cher…" Gohan stuttered. He walked numbly to his seat near his friends, who eyed him strangely. The teacher walked back to the front of the classroom and stuffed his hands into his black jacket. He smiled at his young students.

"Good. Hello, class, I'm your new Algebra II teacher, Majunior Son. It's nice to meet you all."

-

So! I hope it hooked you. Be sure to check out my new story- _Impasse_'s sequal- _Finesse_! Coming to a computer near you around… Oh, I don't know, xmas?

Be sure to drop your reviews and tell me what you thought of _Impasse_!

I want to thank all of my reviewers, especially those of you who have stuck with me every step of the way and offered such incredible reviews that kept me writing! **Pchu, Remembering childhood, Makai Alexa, ShadowMario45, texaspeach, MarshmellowDragon, and so many more!**

Be sure to look out for _Finesse_! I'd love to see all of you and many more there!

-don darko.


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